Jury in Thomas Byrne trial sent home for second night

The jury in the €52 million theft and fraud trial of former solicitor Thomas Byrne has risen for the night after seven hours of deliberations.

Deliberations will resume at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court tomorrow.

The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for two hours and 35 minutes yesterday before being sent home for the night. They sat again today.

They reached verdicts on some of the counts yesterday but Judge Patrick McCartan told them to return all the verdicts at once.

Mr Byrne (47) of Mountjoy Square, Dublin is accused of theft and fraud offences totalling €51.8 million.

The charges allege he transferred clients’ homes into his name and then used them as collateral for property loans.

He is also accused of using invalid collateral to fraudulently borrow millions from six financial institutions.

He has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 50 counts of theft, forgery, using forged documents and deception between 2004 and 2007.