It must be the most cost effective investigations certainly that the fraud unit has ever been involved in

Peter Warwick PSNI Fraud unit

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Peter Warwick of the fraud unit said they were right to pursue the case.

"As a result of this investigation I would suggest the saving to the exchequer is potentially in the region of �40m," he said.

"So from that point of view, it must be the most cost effective investigation certainly that the fraud unit has ever been involved in."

Mr Fegan's former partner 48-year-old Edward Rooney from Warrenpoint was cleared of 15 counts while the jury failed to reach a verdict on three charges against him.

New trial

The two vets were on trial along with a farming couple from south Armagh.

Liam McCullough, 44, was cleared of conspiracy to defraud the MoD over damages for cattle allegedly killed as a result of low flying helicopters.

They failed to reach a verdict on the 32 charges faced by his wife Patricia.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will decide next month whether to proceed with a new trial against Edward Rooney and Patricia McCullough.

Discharging the jury, Lord Justice Campbell said society should be indebted to them for all the care and attention they had given the case and the enormous burden they had to carry

Compensation claims

Seamus Fegan was released on bail as was Patricia McCullough and Edward Rooney.

It is alleged the accused claimed compensation for sheep, cows and horses they said had died as a result of low-flying Army helicopters.

The defendants have denied the charges throughout the trial, which started last September.

The court has heard about animals breaking their backs, sheep being drowned and cows aborting.

Some of the compensation claims were alleged to be around �800, while other claims were for up to �8,000, for instances when several animals were alleged to have been involved.

The compensation claims totalled more than �100,000.

Lord Justice Campbell said he thought the case was one of the longest in Northern Ireland's legal history.

It is understood the trial cost was in the region of �4m.