Quinn 'would swop places with jailed son'

Bankrupt former billionaire Sean Quinn has said he would trade places with his son who is serving a jail sentence for contempt of court.

Speaking to the BBC’s Julian Fowler today, Mr Quinn said: "I believe my son is more innocent than anybody”.

Seán Quinn jnr is currently serving a three-month jail sentence after a judge found he was in contempt of court orders preventing him from putting assets in the Quinn group of companies beyond the reach of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IRBC).

Peter Darragh Quinn, a nephew of Mr Quinn, was jailed in his absence last Friday over the same matter. Gardaí are seeking to arrest him.

Mr Quinn told the BBC he had not seen his nephew "since last Friday".

"He found himself in a situation where he knew they wanted him in prison," Mr Quinn said.

"They knew he couldn't purge the contempt. He knew there would be no upper limit on the contempt - that's what scared him.

"The fear of jail concerned him more than me or Seán."

The Co Fermanagh man told the BBC: "I created a lot of employment and wealth in this region. To take that away from me unlawfully, I feel I would be sidestepping my responsibility by not defending myself.

"I feel an obligation to defend my principles, my family and my region from the injustice that had been done."

Asked if he believed there was a desire to see him behind bars, Mr Quinn replied: "I do."