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Pat Whelan at the Circuit Criminal Court. Brian Lawless/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Ireland sees first bankers convicted of giving illegal loans

Pat Whelan and Willie McAteer found guilty of giving loans to the Maple 10 but not guilty in relation to dealings with the Quinn family.

Updated 11.02pm

PAT WHELAN AND Willie McAteer have been found guilty of some charges in the Anglo Irish Bank trial.

The two former Anglo executives were found guilty on charges of providing unlawful loans for shares to the so-called Maple 10.

They were both found not guilty on charges relating to loans provided to the Quinn family. The jury unanimously found the pair guilty, with the not guilty versions coming from a majority of jurors.

Both Whelan, the former MD of lending in Ireland; and McAteer, the former chief risk officer and finance director of the bank made no statement as they left the court in Dublin today.

Neither reacted when the verdict was read out, staring straight ahead in the dock, with both leaving court almost straight away and neither making a comment as they exited the Criminal Courts of Justice.

It took the jury nearly 17 hours of deliberations to come to a guilty verdict, ruling that the two men had played a part in illegally lending money to the developers in 2008.

Judge Martin Nolan thanked the 12 jurors, saying that they had taken the verdict seriously and had to weigh up a number of considerations. He excused them from jury service for 10 years.

The men will be sentenced on 28 April at 2pm, though Judge Martin Nolan warned that sentencing may go beyond that date.

Yesterday, their co-accused Seán Fitzpatrick was found not guilty on all ten charges he faced on providing unlawful financial assistance to Anglo Irish Bank customers. 

Reporting from Paul Hosford

Originally published 3.23pm

Read: Sean FitzPatrick thanks jury as he is found not guilty at Anglo trial

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