On Tuesday, August 6th, 1996, Tony Taylor, then the principal of the Taylor Investment Group on Clyde Road, Dublin, asked a member of staff to delete all new business names from the company computer system. She was also asked to shred all documents relating to new business going back to 1989.

Naturally enough, the staff member expressed concern. Taylor told her that he was being subjected to an inquiry under the Investment Intermediaries Act. He said she should remain at home the next day until he called her and gave her the all-clear.

The woman began shredding documents as instructed, putting the paper into large clear plastic sacks. Taylor objected and asked her to put the shredded documents into black plastic sacks. She then continued on with the job. By midnight, when she finished, up to 20 black bags were filled.

Back in 1996 Taylor was a senior figure in the Dublin investment community. Such was his stature that he had advised the government when it was drafting the 1995 Investment Intermediaries Act. The day after the documents were shred, Taylor met with an official as part of an inquiry under the same Act on foot of complaints from investors. A date was set for a further inquiry meeting but Taylor was never to attend it.

Instead, he and his wife Shirley - who was also a director of the Taylor companies - sold their cars, a Mercedes and a BMW respectively, left their dog in the care of a staff member and disappeared. They left behind a detached house in Ballsbridge, which was to be later seized.

Taylor's companies went into liquidation. In total, the group had some 1,200 clients who had invested more than £30 million (€38 million). For most clients everything was in order and their money was safe.

However for 17 unfortunate clients whom Taylor had treated as personal clients, some £1.7 million was missing. These clients thought their investments had grown, but in fact they had been dissipated as Taylor, in a frantic effort to prop up his companies, used their monies to keep his business afloat.

Many of the victims did not make an official complaint to the Garda, for their own reasons. However the Society of St Vincent de Paul, which had responded to prompting from Taylor to invest with him, was quick to complain that it had lost £185,000. A number of other complaints followed.

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation began an inquiry which was to develop into its largest ever. Det Insp Kevin Monks was the principal investigating officer. Approaches were made to the courts in the UK, Jersey, Luxembourg, and the Isle of Man. Applications for access to information held by financial institutions in these jurisdictions were granted. One source said the presence of the St Vincent de Paul on the list of victims helped open doors.

The evidence had to be put in place before the decision to arrest Taylor could be taken. Yesterday, Det Supt Willie McGee of the Fraud Bureau said they always felt they could get Taylor when they wanted.

That time came in August 1999. The Garda asked the UK police to arrest Taylor, whom they believed was living at 9 Wrestwood Avenue, Eastbourne, using the name Andrew Taylor.

When the police placed a discreet watch on the house they discovered that private detectives were doing the same. They were quietly asked to leave. It is thought they were working for victims of Taylor, perhaps investors who had not made complaints to the Garda.

Taylor was arrested on foot of extradition warrants. He had been living in Eastbourne with his wife, spending a lot of time at home, on the computer, and going out for the occasional game of golf. The Garda suspected he might have been involved in share dealings on the internet.

Taylor decided to contest his extradition and was held in custody as he awaited his hearing. Then, in January 2000, he changed his mind. He was escorted home on January 28th.

The former investment guru was determined to contest the charges against him and everyone involved felt they were facing into a complex case which could last up to 10 weeks. More than 60 witnesses, at least, were expected to appear.

Last week, Taylor said he would plead guilty to five charges. The charge involving the Vincent de Paul was dropped.In the event he got five years. As he was led away handcuffed from the Four Courts yesterday he nodded to Det Supt McGee and Det Insp Monks. He looked haunted, exhausted, a man who had fallen a long way.