Tipperary breeder charged over fatal farm accident

TIPPERARY breeder Michael Woodlock (right) was arrested and charged this week following an investigation into a farm accident in 2016 which resulted in the death of a young man and serious injuries to another.

The 74-year-old from Clonmel, who jointly bred 2007 Prix de l’Abbaye winner Total Gallery, has been charged with the unlawful killing of 22-year-old Sam Taylor. The deceased, originally from Newcastle in England, had been working on a teleporter on a local stud farm when the vehicle crashed and he was fatally injured. A second man, Darren Prout (25) suffered a serious leg injury in the incident.

Woodlock has also been charged with endangerment of another, and with five breaches of Health and Safety legislation arising out of the same incident. Gardaí told Judge Terence Finn that they had no objection to the defendant being released on bail.

Judge Finn remanded the accused on bail to appear again at Clonmel District Court on June 23rd.