Former Tipp hurler Lar Corbett's company has been ordered to close its pub doors for two days and pay 1500 euro in fines.
Marlstone Investments Ltd was convicted at Thurles District Court in relation to 23 bottles of 'counterfeit' vodka seized at Corbett’s bar, Coppinger’s in Thurles in January 2015.
Marlstone Investments Ltd was charged with failing to pay tax on 16.1 litres of alcohol found by Customs and Excise officers in January 2015 at Coppinger's bar in Thurles.
A sample from one of 23 bottles of spirits taken from the pub was found to be neither vodka nor the Smirnoff vodka it purported to be, and that its Smirnoff labelling was found to be 'fake'.
Giving evidence in court, Lar Corbett, who's the director of Marlstone Investments, said he accepted that the 'buck stops' with him in relation to the premises and its stock but said he thought he did take 'reasonable care' to ensure there were no counterfeit goods in the pub.
He didn’t have 'a recording system' at that time for keeping track of stock orders, he said.
Judge Elizabeth McGrath said the licensing laws expect a 'high standard of care' from the licensee on how they run their premises.
She found Lar Corbett to be 'an honest and fair witness' but the reason the company found itself before the court was 'very well-related to the lack of a proper stock-taking process within the premises'.
Judge McGrath said the defence of 'due diligence' had not been established and she had to convict.
She fined Marlstone Investments €1,500 and imposed a two-day closure order.
