Ex-billionaire Sean Quinn "has only himself to blame" for a nine-week jail sentence over his role in multimillion-euro asset-stripping activities, a High Court judge declared today.

The High Court has today imposed a nine-week jail sentence on bankrupt businessman Sean Quinn for contempt of court.

The grip on the empire controlled by the man who was once Ireland’s richest individual has been prised a further notch open following one of the most dramatic days in the recent history of the Four Courts.