Thomas Slab Murphy will be sentenced for tax evasion on February 26th - the same day that Ireland goes to the polls.
His sentence hearing heard today the prominent Republican owes Revenue just under €190,000 for eight years of tax evasion.
The 66-year-old, who lives at Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co. Louth, could be jailed for up to five years.
Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy was greeted by a bank of photographers on his way into the Special Criminal Court this morning, and anyone looking to gain entry was patted down by Gardai and had their bags searched.
Just a week before Christmas, the prominent Republican was found guilty of failing to file returns for his farming activities between 1996 and 2004.
He claimed they got the wrong man and tried to blame his brother.
Today, the court has been given examples of other Revenue cases to assist in the construction of an appropriate sentence.
They include the infamous case of Dublin businessman Paul Begley who was jailed for a €1.6m fraud involving the importation of garlic from China.
The three-judge panel has also heard his total tax bill owed by Mr. Murphy, including interest and penalties, is just under €190,000.
