Former investment guru shares cell with addict

As he waited for sentencing yesterday afternoon the former Dublin investment guru, Tony Taylor, shared a holding cell with a long-term heroin addict who was hoping for early release.

It is the sort of company the former resident of Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, has been keeping for the past two years.

At 11.30 a.m. Taylor, dressed in a green anorak, a dark suit, a white shirt and a blue tie, stood in court number eight to enter guilty pleas on five charges.

He stood at the side of the room, his hands clasped in front of him, listening to the charges as they were read out by the court registrar. His eyes flickered from the registrar to the judge, to the bench of reporters who were scribbling furiously. He look pale, his eyelids twitching, the expression on his face something between blank and unbelieving. As each charge was read out he replied: "Guilty".

Judge Elizabeth Dunne said she would hear evidence in the afternoon, and Taylor was led away. When the court resumed at 2 p.m. counsel for the 39-year-old heroin addict pleaded that his client be given an early release to attend a drugs programme. However, the judge noted that urine tests in Mountjoy had found traces of opiates in the prisoner's system, and refused the application.

The prisoner was handcuffed and brought away and Taylor was then brought from the holding cell. Evidence was heard from the chief investigating garda, Det Gda Kevin Monks, and Taylor again seemed to be paying close attention. None of his victims were in court and nor were any of his family. He is in a second marriage and has two children from his first marriage, the garda said. A worker with the Society of St Vincent de Paul was in court, and so too was Mr Eddie Hobbs, a former director of a Taylor company who has taken a strong interest in the case.

When the time came for his sentencing, Taylor again stood with his hands held clasped before him, his face expressionless. The judge explained her thinking in relation to the case and Taylor watched her, swaying back and forth slightly. She announced her sentence but there was no change to Taylor's blank, somewhat stunned expression. When it was all over he presented his wrists to the waiting prison officers, was shackled again, and led away to the holding cell.