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20/09/2012
Farmer's Sheep Stolen While He Was At Father's Deathbed
About 170 sheep have been stolen while their farmer looked after his dying father.
The number of animals and their value of about £17,000 makes the incident one of Northern Ireland's biggest ever livestock thefts.
The animals were taken from a farm at Drumcrow Road near Broughshane in County Antrim.
It is believed they were stolen sometime in May while farmer John Mulvenna was tending to his father, who later died.
Mr Mulvenna discovered the theft when he was gathering his sheep up for an annual sale.
The 45-year-old, who has farmed in the area his whole life, said: "I lost my father and I have a feeling they were taken around that time. I was preoccupied with my father being ill. That's my feeling anyway, but I don't know.
"I worked with him on the farm since I left school."
The sheep were all blackface breeding ewes. They were marked with blue or red dye and were tagged and insured.
North Antrim MLA Robin Swann said criminal gangs may be behind a recent spate of sheep thefts, which have caused great concern in the farming community.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "This has to be organised crime; these just aren't random one-off thefts and I would strongly encourage every farmer to check their livestock on a regular basis."
(NE)
The number of animals and their value of about £17,000 makes the incident one of Northern Ireland's biggest ever livestock thefts.
The animals were taken from a farm at Drumcrow Road near Broughshane in County Antrim.
It is believed they were stolen sometime in May while farmer John Mulvenna was tending to his father, who later died.
Mr Mulvenna discovered the theft when he was gathering his sheep up for an annual sale.
The 45-year-old, who has farmed in the area his whole life, said: "I lost my father and I have a feeling they were taken around that time. I was preoccupied with my father being ill. That's my feeling anyway, but I don't know.
"I worked with him on the farm since I left school."
The sheep were all blackface breeding ewes. They were marked with blue or red dye and were tagged and insured.
North Antrim MLA Robin Swann said criminal gangs may be behind a recent spate of sheep thefts, which have caused great concern in the farming community.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "This has to be organised crime; these just aren't random one-off thefts and I would strongly encourage every farmer to check their livestock on a regular basis."
(NE)
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30 August 2001
Sheep sales resume under strict supervision
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bríd Rodgers, has announced her intention to permit the farm-to-farm collection of livestock and the resumption of commercial sheep sales under strict veterinary supervision.
Sheep sales resume under strict supervision
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11 September 2008
Man Held Over Sheep Farmer Murder
Police investigating the murder of a Claudy sheep farmer in 2004 have arrested a man. Patrick Devine was found fatally wounded at his remote farm in the Sperrin Mountains almost four years ago. The 51-year-old was slumped over his dinner and had been shot at close range several times.
Man Held Over Sheep Farmer Murder
Police investigating the murder of a Claudy sheep farmer in 2004 have arrested a man. Patrick Devine was found fatally wounded at his remote farm in the Sperrin Mountains almost four years ago. The 51-year-old was slumped over his dinner and had been shot at close range several times.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A cloudy day with a little light rain or drizzle at times, but some spells of drier weather too. The north coast may become somewhat brighter later this afternoon. Maximum temperature 11 °C.Tonight:Cloudy and patchy light rain will slowly clear away this evening. Then the rest of the night will be dry with broken cloud. Westerly winds freshening in the early hours. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
