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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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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
