On Friday night 26 April, an 8x4 Ifor Williams trailer was stolen from a farmyard in Killeigh, Co Offaly.
The trailer belongs to Ken Matthews, a sheep farmer who is currently lambing 70 ewes.
The IFA Theft Stop mark OY100060 is stencilled on both sides of the trailer. The trailer is missing the ramp of the upper floor, which they forgot to steal. The serial number on the trailer is 351917.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Matthews said that on Friday evening he was in the yard until around 6pm checking on the ewes, then his son took over from him at 7.30pm. The trailer was still there at that time.
“My son came back in at 11.30pm. We have a laser across the yard and at around 12.30am he heard the alarm go off when a door on a small shed blew open, so he turned it off, set it again and went to bed.
“I was up at 6.30am on Saturday to check on the ewes that were lambing. Looking into the yard I saw the main gate open, with the latch open. I didn’t miss the trailer.
“Around 9.30am my son realised that the trailer was gone. We rang the Gardaí and they were out to us in half an hour. We have two gates into the yard – an electric gate with a keypad and two timber gates with a latch. They normally have a chain on, but with lambing we are in and out a good bit.
“We think somebody knew the place well because they didn’t hit the laser. From the road you couldn’t see the trailer and the sheds are all lit up at the minute with lambing.
“It’s either local knowledge that set someone up, or a local person. It’s like someone knew exactly where it was,” he said.
Read more
Prison for Australian farm trespassers
New farm property marking project for western farmers
More garda patrolling and CCTV needed – rural crime report
On Friday night 26 April, an 8x4 Ifor Williams trailer was stolen from a farmyard in Killeigh, Co Offaly.
The trailer belongs to Ken Matthews, a sheep farmer who is currently lambing 70 ewes.
The IFA Theft Stop mark OY100060 is stencilled on both sides of the trailer. The trailer is missing the ramp of the upper floor, which they forgot to steal. The serial number on the trailer is 351917.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Matthews said that on Friday evening he was in the yard until around 6pm checking on the ewes, then his son took over from him at 7.30pm. The trailer was still there at that time.
“My son came back in at 11.30pm. We have a laser across the yard and at around 12.30am he heard the alarm go off when a door on a small shed blew open, so he turned it off, set it again and went to bed.
“I was up at 6.30am on Saturday to check on the ewes that were lambing. Looking into the yard I saw the main gate open, with the latch open. I didn’t miss the trailer.
“Around 9.30am my son realised that the trailer was gone. We rang the Gardaí and they were out to us in half an hour. We have two gates into the yard – an electric gate with a keypad and two timber gates with a latch. They normally have a chain on, but with lambing we are in and out a good bit.
“We think somebody knew the place well because they didn’t hit the laser. From the road you couldn’t see the trailer and the sheds are all lit up at the minute with lambing.
“It’s either local knowledge that set someone up, or a local person. It’s like someone knew exactly where it was,” he said.
Read more
Prison for Australian farm trespassers
New farm property marking project for western farmers
More garda patrolling and CCTV needed – rural crime report
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: