Sean FitzPatrick Trial: Anatomy of a shambles

Francesca Comyn presents the inside story of the sensational collapse of Sean FitzPatrick’s trial after 126 days

The scene in court on the day Sean FitzPatrick’s trial collapsed. The day before, the judge made it known he was going to direct the jury to acquit the former banker on all charges Illustration: Alwyn Gillespie

A shard of evening light falls on the blue-carpeted corridor of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) on Parnell Square East in Dublin city centre. It is a few minutes before 7pm on May 1, 2015, the Friday of the bank holiday weekend. Legal adviser Kevin O’Connell emerges in shirtsleeves from his office on the third floor, holding a tray of documents.

The internal CCTV system, which is motion-activated, records ...