Trial of ex-Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick set for May 2016

A trial date has been confirmed for former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick on charges of breaching the Companies Act.

Mr FitzPatrick (66) of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow has pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. These include 21 charges of making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and six charges of furnishing false information in the years 2002 to 2007.

He had been due to stand trial earlier this month but Mr Justice Michael Moriarty ruled last August at the High Court that the trial should be put back by seven months due to adverse publicity about Mr FitzPatrick.

Bernard Condon SC, defending, indicated last week that the trial will last up to three months.

He asked for the suggested trial date of May 25th, 2016 to be changed as he said he had concerns there would be difficulty in empanelling a jury for such a lengthy trial at the time of the year when many potential jurors would have holidays planned.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Monday Judge Martin Nolan confirmed the trial date for May 25th next and said he was confident that "we will find enough jurors and the case will finish".

Mr FitzPatrick did not appear in court as he had been excused from attending at a previous date.