Seán FitzPatrick jury discharged as fresh trial date fixed

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The jury hearing Seán FitzPatrick’s case was discharged, with 5 October fixed as the new trial date. The proceedings were reported on 2 June 2015.

He had pleaded not guilty to 27 offences under the 1990 Companies Act. The allegations concerned supplying false information and making statements to auditors that were misleading, false or deceptive, between 2002 and 2007.

Jurors took their oath on 14 April. Legal argument started on 16 April and lasted seven weeks, despite an initial expectation of two days.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said the legal issues were resolved. She explained that the trial would run beyond the eight weeks originally anticipated, so it could not proceed at that stage and a fresh jury would be needed.

The jurors had heard no evidence. Judge Ring exempted them from jury service for the next seven years.

A mention hearing was scheduled for 29 June. At an earlier hearing, the judge had said an unexpected issue and an illness had seriously disrupted the timetable.