Man charged with handling stolen pigs

A man has appeared in court charged with handling almost 1,200 stolen pigs. The animals, piglets and adult pigs, are alleged to have been stolen from a Westmeath pig farm in 2012.

At Mullingar District Court, Patrick Nannery, aged 32, of Ballybrien, Granard, in Longford, was charged with handling the pigs, estimated by Teagasc to be worth in the region of €176,000.

When Nannery was charged he replied: “I didn’t know they were stolen. I wouldn’t have had them,” prosecuting Garda John Daly said.