Jury in trial of Seán FitzPatrick sent home due to unforeseen issue

The jury in the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick has been told it will not be needed until Monday week.

The case was opened before the jury on Thursday and the first witness was expected to be heard yesterday (FRI). The jury was empanelled in September.

Judge John Aylmer said an unforeseen issue had arisen and witnesses were to be heard in a different sequence.

He also said it had always been anticipated that there would be three significant legal issues that would have to be dealt with in their absence.

Having already dealt with one of these, it had now been decided to embark on another.

He asked the jury to return on Monday, November 14th.

Mr FitzPatrick (68), of Whitshed Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to 27 charges under the Companies Act 1990 relating to the misleading of the bank’s auditors, Ernst & Young, in relation to multi-million euro loans he had from the bank.