NSW Supreme Court hearing set to determine ownership of Ireland Angus cattle
A two-day hearing in the NSW Supreme Court has been set for August to determine the ownership of Ireland Angus cattle, paving the way for a sale of bulls and cows in spring.
THE Supre me Court of NSW has set a two-day hearing in August to determine ownership of cattle managed by Corey and Prue Ireland’s Angus stud at Kyeamba, south of Wagga Wagga.
But claimants for any of the 1200 bulls, cows and calves identified have until next Tuesday to file notice of appearance to continue in the court proceedings, otherwise they may lose their right to the cattle.
In a procedural hearing on Monday, Supreme Court Justice John Sackar set a date of August 3 and 4 to determine ownership of cattle claimed by more than a dozen interested parties.
They include Westpac Bank, which is owed $3.5 million by the trustee of the Ireland family trust and successfully began proceedings in the court on December 24 last year to recoup funds from the Irelands.
Sources said lawyers acting for Henk and Helma Van Den Heuval, half owners of Irelands Angus Breeding Pty Ltd with Mr and Mrs Ireland, claimed their clients owned a vast number of cattle, but could not detail exactly how many.
Other parties to the hearing included CD & PJ Ireland Pty Ltd — former trustee of the Ireland family trust, now in liquidation — Four 0 Eight Angus Pty Ltd at Nambucca and Wagga Wagga Angus investor Richard Allsopp.
Mrs Ireland’s former fitness centre business partner, Kerry Podmore, has also indicated a claim on cattle, believed to be in lieu of lease payments for the use of their property to run cattle before the Ireland Angus empire collapsed.
A source told The Weekly Times Justice Sackar had already made orders for the receivers and managers of the Ireland Angus cattle to sell 135 bulls and a small number of infirm cattle to be sold soon.
The August hearing would pave the way for the rest of the herd to be sold in spring, subject to ownership being determined.
“No one seems to know who owned what cattle in this case,” the source said.
Other sources questioned whether the 1200 cattle identified by receivers acting for Westpac Bank actually existed.
Meanwhile, Four 0 Eight Angus Pty Ltd has taken separate Supreme Court action against Mr and Mrs Ireland for $850,000 it claims was owed as personal guarantors over the performance of the Ireland family trust under a deed signed by the Irelands in December, 2016.
The next hearing in that case has been scheduled for July. Mr Ireland was charged with eight counts of fraud by NSW police on April 8.
He faces penalties of up to 10 years in jail on each count.
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