Cattle rustler ‘shunned locally’ over thefts

A cattle rustler who stole cattle from an elderly neighbour is being shunned in his local community by former friends and acquaintances.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Padraig O’Brien, aged 42, of Maghereigh, Mountshannon, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to 15 separate counts of stealing cattle from his farming neighbour, John Ford, aged 74, between May 2013 and January 2015.

In court, counsel for Mr O’Brien, Patrick Whyms BL said a psychiatric report records how former friends and acquaintances “will no longer talk to Mr O’Brien” because of the offences.

Mr Whyms said the report records that Mr O’Brien “is clearly not welcome at community events”.

He noted that the old friendship between Mr O’Brien and his neighbour, John Ford “is over”.

And he added that Mr O’Brien “is going to live with the shame and disgrace for the rest of his life” from the offences.

Along with this, people who owe Mr O’Brien money are refusing to pay him on account of his crimes while he has also been accused of a number of thefts from the local community. Mr O’Brien has subsequently been proven not to have been involved in those thefts but only after being subject to verbal and physical threats, according to Mr Whyms.

He said: “The intensity of this might diminish over time, but it will never go away in that community.”

Mr O’Brien has paid €17,000 compensation to Mr Ford according to compensation calculated by an independent assessor.

Mr Whyms said: “Even now after making full financial recompense he will always have to carry the burden and the stigma.”

Mr O’Brien stole cattle from Mr Ford in May and December 2013 and he went undetected.

However, his third theft was discovered as a result of a hard frost that left the imprint of the stolen cattle hooves’ on the edge of the road that led a trail to Mr O’Brien’s farm.

In court, Det Garda Bernard Casey said he requested Mr O’Brien allow him search his property and Det Casey came across five heifers in a segregated area in the farm buildings. Mr O’Brien denied all knowledge of the theft and the previous two thefts.

Det Casey then began a 10-month long investigation criss-crossing the country. searching farms, using DNA technology to trace the missing animals.

Det Casey said that along with the five heifers recovered within 24 hours, he recovered a further three through DNA tests, along with a fourth following admissions by Mr O’Brien.

After Det Casey identified the missing animals after the 10-month trawl, he re- arrested Mr O’Brien in November 2015 where O’Brien made admissions.

Det Casey said Mr O’Brien’s crime caused the Ford family a lot of stress: “Not alone financially but the worry of going to bed at night not knowing what could be missing the following morning. That seemed to be biggest effect on them.”

Det Casey said it is Dept of Agriculture’s view that such activity has implications for the multi-billion agriculture economy “and that disease eradication can be compromised by this kind of activity”.

Mr Whyms said O’Brien was under financial pressure at the time: “He is not of a criminal disposition, has no previous convictions and is a person of generally good character. ”

Judge Gerald Keys said he needs time to read the reports in the case and remanded Mr O’Brien on bail to re-appear before him next Friday.