Jury told to have ‘moral courage’ as they begin deliberations

The jury has begun deliberations in the trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank executives accused of illegally lending money for the purchase of shares in the bank.

After over 10 weeks of evidence and 53 witnesses, jurors spent 50 minutes yesterday afternoon considering a verdict before being sent home by Judge Martin Nolan. They will resume on Monday morning. For the first time, a jury of 15 was selected to hear the case, due to its length. At the conclusion of the trial, 12 jurors were randomly selected to consider verdicts.

Former Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick and ex-directors William McAteer and Pat Whelan are charged at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with breaching Section 60 of the Companies Act 1963 by lending money to investors to buy shares in Anglo.