THE JURY IN the trial of former Anglo Irish Bank Chairman Sean FitzPatrick has been asked to return to court next Wednesday 13 May.

Legal argument is continuing in the case, with the jury hearing no evidence to date.

The jury were sworn in on 14 April.

Today Judge Mary Ellen Ring asked the jury to return on Wednesday, “optimistically”, she said, adding that jury members should not turn off their phones in the meantime.

She said there were “unforeseen matters” in the case.

“There’s been an illness which causes a further difficulty. That has intervened in the meantime and is causing some serious timetable problems as a result.”

Judge Ring told the jury earlier this week that for a “variety of reasons” the case has taken longer than anyone could have predicted.

She asked the jury what their position was going in to the future.

The foreman handed a piece of paper to the judge indicating certain dates of availability that may cause problems going forward.

“At the moment, what I am going to ask you to do, I have noted the dates and I will inform counsel of those issues. But I’m going to ask you at the moment to come back next Wednesday 13th May. I say that with the proviso that you may be getting that all-too familiar telephone call in the meantime.”

“We are where we are,” she said.

The accused, of Whitshed Road, Greystones, County Wicklow, is charged with 27 counts under the Companies Act 1990.

FitzPatrick is charged with failing to disclose to auditors Ernst & Young the true value of loans to him or people connected with him of at least €139.8 million from Irish Nationwide.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The jury of six men and six women will return next week.