Businessman admits evasion of cigarette duty: Court

Thomas Martin Murphy (58), of Ballymena Road, had his case adjourned last Friday for the preparation of a Probation report.

District Judge Alan White said Murphy was “undercutting legitimate traders who are trying to make a living”.

Murphy was charged with knowingly being concerned in an attempt at evasion of the duty chargeable on 5,900 cigarettes and 4,950 grams of tobacco on June 11 last year.

He had a second charge that on a date unknown between July 1, 2005 and June 11, 2009, he was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the duty chargeable on cigarettes and tobacco.

A prosecutor told the Magistrates Departmental Court in Coleraine on Friday cigarettes and tobacco were discovered at the Furniture Warehouse in Victoria Street, Ballymoney, on June 11, 2009.

The prosecutor said an employee said she had worked there for four years and cigarettes were sold during that time.

A defence lawyer denied cigarettes were being sold for four years but claimed that during the summer time when people brought back extra tobacco from holiday the defendant would buy it from them.

The lawyer denied tobacco was being sold in any organised fashion.