A FORMER IRISH rugby international has gone on trial accused of stealing over €500,000 from Bank of Ireland Private Bank.

Brendan Mullin (60) of Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today where he pleaded not guilty to 15 charges against him.

He pleaded not guilty to one count of stealing €500,000 from Bank of Ireland Private Bank, Mespil Road, Dublin 4 on 16 December 2011 along with eight other counts of stealing various amounts of money from the bank on different dates.

He further pleaded not guilty to one count of deception and five counts of furnishing information to Bank of Ireland Private Bank authorising payment of invoices while knowing or believing them to be false, misleading or deceptive.

The charges are all alleged to have taken place at Bank of Ireland Private Bank, Mespil Road on dates between July 2011 and March 2013.

The jury was told Mullin formerly worked for Bank of Ireland Private Bank on Mespil Road and that he is a former rugby international who played for Ireland.

Empanelling the jury, Judge Patricia Ryan said that no-one connected with Bank of Ireland or Bank of Ireland Private Bank should serve. She warned jurors that they should not carry out any investigations into the case, either online or on social media.

The trial will take place before Judge Martin Nolan and is set down for four to five weeks, the court heard.

After the jury was put in charge of the case, Judge Nolan sent them home until Friday at the earliest, telling them other matters needed to be dealt with in their absence.