Gerry Adams refuses to condemn Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy after tax conviction

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has refused to withdraw his support for former Provisional IRA leader, Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy, who was yesterday convicted of tax evasion.

Murphy was yesterday found guilty of nine charges by the Special Criminal Court.

Mr Adams previously denied Murphy was a criminal, insisting he was a “good republican”. Yesterday, the three judges found him guilty of failing to furnish tax returns on his farm income between 1996 and 2004.