Ex-Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick thanks family and jury

Former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank Sean FitzPatrick has thanked his family for their support and the jury for finding him not guilty on all of the charges against him at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Half an hour after the verdict was announced in Court 19, Mr FitzPatrick emerged from the Criminal Courts of Justice to face the gathered media.

After asking the media to step back a little and give him space, Mr FitzPatrick read from a prepared statement.

He first thanked his wife, his two sons, his daughter and his sister who he said had supported him “not only during this trial but for the past six years of great personal difficulty”.

“I would of course especially like to thank my legal team; solicitor Michael Staines, senior counsel Michael O’Higgins, junior counsel John Fitzgerald and Gavin McCormack for their dedication and hard work,” he said.

“I would like also especially like to thank the women and men of the jury who found me not guilty of all charges.”

Mr FitzPatrick said he was “truly grateful” to all his friends who stood by him and “in particular to two very special friends”.

“I will always be truly grateful for their support during this very difficult time,” he said.

“I now simply ask that the courtesy extended to me and my family during this trial by the media be maintained and the privacy of my family which has been intruded on over the past six years will now cease.”