Jury in Anglo trial down to 11 members as one is unwell

The jury in the trial of four former bankers accused of conspiring to mislead investors as to the financial health of Anglo Irish Bank in 2008 is "making progress," the jury foreman said today when asked.

Judge Martin Nolan delivered his charge to the jury on Tuesday, May 17th. The jury did not deliberate on Friday as one of its members was unwell and this morning the judge said that as the juror remained unwell a jury of eleven members should now try to reach a verdict.

A jury of not less than ten can reach a verdict in a criminal trial.

At the outset of this morning’s brief sitting Judge Martin said he wanted to ask if the jury was making progress. “Yes, we are making progress,” the jury foreman replied.

The jury then retired to resume its deliberations. It had deliberated for almost 24 hours by the end of last week.

The jury began hearing evidence in January in what is understood to be the longest criminal trial in the history of the State.

Peter Fitzpatrick (63) of Convent Lane, Portmarnock, Dublin; Denis Casey (56), from Raheny, Dublin; John Bowe (52) from Glasnevin, Dublin, and Willie McAteer (65) of Greenrath, Tipperary Town, Co Tipperary, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors by setting up a €7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1st and September 30th, 2008, to bolster Anglo's balance sheet.

Mr Fitzpatrick is a former director of finance at Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) and Mr Casey is ILP’s former chief executive. Mr Bowe is a former head of capital markets at Anglo, while Mr McAteer is Anglo’s former finance director.