In three hours, 160 whittled to jury of 15 for Anglo trial

The three former Anglo Irish Bank officials sat impassively in the dock, speaking only to enter not guilty pleas as the charges were read out by the registrar. In front of them, pressed tightly together, were two long banks of lawyers, more than a dozen journalists, some gardaí and a tightly-packed public gallery.

All were onlookers yesterday; the focus was squarely on the 160 potential jurors who filed through Court Seven at the Criminal Courts of Justice complex – each one closely scrutinised as they made their way towards the bench.

The panel, assembled in a separate room, watched via video link as the three defendants – Seán FitzPatrick, William McAteer and Pat Whelan – stood with their hands clasped in front of them for the reading of the charge sheet.

The juror panel was then brought into court in small groups before being sworn in, excused by the judge or challenged by the legal teams.

In all, about 130 people were excused by Judge Martin Nolan after explaining to him privately why they could not serve on a trial that is expected to last up to four months.

Earlier, the judge had told the assembled group that anyone who worked in the financial sector should not serve on this jury. Nor should anyone who owned shares in any bank or had expressed “strong public views”, including through social media, about Anglo Irish Bank.

As proceedings were getting under way, Paul O’Higgins, for the prosecution, brought to the court’s attention a post on a popular message-board website in which someone had written: “I have been chosen to be on jury. Hope it’s a nice hotel. We all partied.”

The judge asked the jurors if anyone in the room had written the posting. All shook their heads, the judge issued a warning and the process resumed.

The prosecution and the defendants each had the right to veto eight jurors without giving a reason. In all, the defendants challenged 17, among them an employee of the Revenue Commissioners, an unemployed man, a teller at a credit union, a young man who works at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, an insurance worker and an engineer from the Office of Public Works. A woman in her 20s told the judge she worked for a hedge fund; the barristers all shook their head in unison and she was excused.

When another young man's name was called, he turned to the court unprompted and loudly proclaimed: "I'm a statistician in a drugs factory!" Laughter rippled around the room. Before he had taken another step, the prosecution vetoed him.

Challenged

The judge had told panel members not to feel offended

at being challenged. But one man wanted to know why he had been challenged; when his request was met with silence, he shuffled away muttering about his wasted morning.

In the end, the process ran very smoothly. In less than three hours, a jury of 15 – eight men and seven women – had been sworn in. They include a sales rep, a nurse, a bus driver, a PA, an unemployed man, someone who works in hospital procurement and a secretary to a trade union official.

Before the court adjourned, one final matter was brought to the judge's attention. Apparently Det Insp Ray Kavanagh, who is listed as a witness at the trial, grew up 25 years ago in the same area as one of the jurors. "I don't know who he is," the woman told the court. "He obviously made a great impression," Judge Nolan remarked, adding: "No insult intended to Det Insp Kavanagh."

With that, the judge gave the jurors one final opportunity to raise any concerns. None spoke up. “So, everybody is happy to, well, at least ready, to serve.”

The trial begins next week.