The case was heard at a sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon court on Tuesday, 13 September.

Stanley Richardson, who is 67 and has an address at Woodford, Newtowngore, Co Leitrim, was found guilty of selling a bull which had been given a banned substance called phenylbutazone, otherwise known as bute. The animal was sold in March 2014 at Roscrea Mart. Mr Richardson is a prize-winning Limousin breeder.

Bute is an anti-inflammatory commonly used in the equine industry but it banned from the human food chain. Bute will always show up in residue tests.

Mr Richardson was fined €500 and he was also ordered to pay costs of €5,000. The case was heard by Judge Kevin Kilrane.