Update 6.29pm: The jury in the longest-running criminal trial in the State’s history has gone home for the long weekend and will resume its deliberations on Tuesday.
Irish Life & Permanent’s former CEO Denis Casey is the only man left in the dock on a conspiracy to defraud charge.
Update 4pm: Former banker Peter Fitzpatrick is now a free man after found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
There were gasps from the public gallery when the foreman said the jurors had found Mr Fitzpatrick not guilty after almost 47 hours of deliberations.
The former finance director of Irish Life & Permanent, who was sitting beside his co-accused Denis Casey, the bank’s former CEO, said something under his breath before patting his former boss on the leg.
He left the court house without stopping to speak to the media – only to say that he was relieved with the jury’s decision.
The jury is continuing its deliberations in relation to Mr Casey.
Update 2.56pm: Former Irish Life & Permanent banker Peter Fitzpatrick has been found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud.
He was one of four men accused of engaging in a dishonest scheme to mislead the public about Anglo Irish Bank’s health in 2008.
Former Anglo executives Willie McAteer and John Bowe were found guilty of the same charge on Wednesday.
The jury acquitted Mr Fitzpatrick after almost 47 hours of deliberations.
The jury has resumed its deliberations in relation to his former CEO Denis Casey.
Update 11.57am: The jury in a conspiracy to defraud trial has been told the court will accept majority verdicts in relation to two former Irish Life & Permanent bankers.
Just after 11.40am, Judge Martin Nolan told them the court would accept majority verdicts in relation to Irish Life & Permanent’s former CEO Denis Casey and its former finance director Peter Fitzpatrick.
They are accused of taking part in a dishonest scheme to mislead the public about the strength of Anglo Irish Bank’s corporate deposits in 2008 through a series of transactions amounting to €7.2bn.
An enlarged jury of 15 was sworn in to hear this trial back in January. 13 heard all of the evidence, but only 12 were sent out to consider verdicts.
A female juror became unwell last week so the deliberations have continued with just 11.
Update 11.46am: The sentence hearing of two former Anglo Irish Bank executives found guilty of conspiring to defraud has been set for July 25.
Willie McAteer and John Bowe were convicted of taking part in a dishonest scheme aimed at misleading the public about Anglo’s health in 2008.
Earlier: Two former Anglo Irish Bank executives are due back in court this morning after they were convicted of conspiring to defraud earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the jurors will resume their deliberations in relation to two former Irish Life & Permanent executives charged with the same offence.
The financial markets were in turmoil in 2008 and Anglo Irish Bank was struggling to secure funding.
Between March and September 2008, its then finance director Willie McAteer and head of capital markets John Bowe engaged in a dishonest scheme which ultimately misled investors and depositors about the strength of its corporate deposits.
They were convicted on Wednesday and remanded on continuing bail until today, when a sentence hearing date is likely to be set.
Former Irish Life & Permanent executives Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick authorised €7.2bn in so-called back-to-back transactions with Anglo but say they expected Anglo to account for them properly.
The jury is approaching its 45th hour of deliberations and will return to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at 10am.
