Pig farmer jailed over leaks in slurry pits

A farmer was jailed yesterday after a judge labelled him “an absolute disgrace” for failing to prevent an environmental timebomb from threatening lakes in the Midlands.

Donal Connaughton, aged 55, acted “in a blackguardly fashion” and expected the authorities to clean up the environmental nightmare he had created at his pig farm in Co Longford, Judge Seamus Hughes said.

Connaughton, of Elfleet, Newtowncashel, was convicted at Longford District Court of causing or permitting effluent to fall from massive tanks containing 4m gallons of slurry into a local lake last March.