Corey Ireland cattle fraud case moves to Sydney

Alleged cattle fraudster Corey Ireland has had his Wagga Wagga District Court trial adjourned and moved to Sydney.

The trial of alleged southern NSW cattle fraudster Corey Ireland has been vacated from Wagga Wagga District Court and moved to Sydney.

The former stud cattle breeder, who was principal of Irelands Angus Stud, is facing 16 fraud charges where police allege he sold cattle that did not exist, were dead, or had already been sold.

Ireland was due to stand trial at Wagga on Friday. However, at the consent of both the defence and the prosecution, the matter was adjourned by agreement and is now listed for a mention at the Sydney Downing Centre on August 16.

The court has agreed that the defendant can appear via audio-visual link.

Court documents obtained by The Weekly Times show that leave was granted for all parties to appear via AVL because the matter was originally listed in Wagga Wagga.

The bail conditions were again granted as unchanged and there were no additional orders made by the court.

Wagga Wagga Courthouse. Picture: Sam Turner

Some of the charges date back to 2020, and the most recent three charges were laid in 2023. Mr Ireland has not yet entered a plea.

Police facts tendered to the court alleged that there are victims from as far south as Tasmania, as well as Victoria, and the Riverina.

The NSW Rural Crime Prevention Team initially launched Strike Force Seger in 2019 to investigate suspected fraudulent cattle transactions.

The former home of Mr Ireland and Ireland’s Angus stud at Kyeamba, south of Wagga Wagga, was raided on December 17, 2019.

Then in 2020, he was charged by police with 13 counts of fraud. An additional three charges were laid in 2023.