Former Anglo executives escape jail time

Two directors of the now-defunct Anglo Irish Bank have walked from court after a judge ruled they should serve community service for their role in an illegal loans-for-shares scam at the bank.

Pat Whelan, former head of lending, and Willie McAteer, former head of finance and risk, were found guilty before Easter after an 11-week trial over the so-called Project Maple plot to lend €450m to a secret circle of clients in July 2008.