A Co Cork tractor dealer has been brought to court following a lengthy garda investigation into the importation and re-registration of stolen tractors and cars.

On 5 July 2018, Gerard Holland of Tír na Nean, Lislevane, Bandon, appeared in Bandon District Court on 42 charges relating to the handling and possession of stolen vehicles and vehicle parts.

Holland, a secondhand tractor dealer, was charged on eight counts of handling stolen tractors. These included seven New Holland tractors and a Massey Ferguson. He was charged with possession of a stolen Case MX 140 tractor and Indespension trailer. There were a further 32 charges relating to the handling and possession of stolen cars and car parts. The charges were made under Section 17 and 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

Gerard Holland was remanded on his own bail to appear at Bandon District Court on 6 September 2018 for Service of a Book of Evidence.

Criminal charges

The criminal charges have come as a result of a comprehensive investigation by gardaí attached to the stolen vehicle unit and detective gardaí at Bandon Garda Station, Co Cork. The investigation has been ongoing since October 2016. According to Detective Garda Eugene O’Sullivan of the stolen motor vehicle investigation unit, 10 stolen tractors have been recovered under the investigation. These were stolen in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh and Down between 2010 and 2016.

In an unrelated investigation, gardaí from the stolen vehicle unit and Granard Garda Station last week recovered a stolen John Deere 6220 tractor in Co Longford. It had been stolen from a donkey sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, UK, last November.

The tractor, fitted with a John Deere front loader, had been professionally cloned into a 6320 John Deere model.

Staff at the sanctuary have been informed of the recovery of the tractor, which will be of great benefit as it operates entirely on donations from members of the public.