Courts

Michael Lynn found guilty of stealing almost €18m from six financial institutions

Former solicitor guilty on 10 charges with jury unable to agree on 11 further counts

Former solicitor Michael Lynn. Photograph: Collins Courts
Former solicitor Michael Lynn. Photograph: Collins Courts
Isabel Hayes
Wed Dec 20 2023 - 16:05

The jury in the multimillion euro trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn has returned guilty verdicts on 10 of the 21 charges against him.

Lynn was convicted of 10 counts of stealing around €17.9 million from six financial institutions 16 years ago. They were unable to agree on the remaining 11 counts on the indictment.

The 55-year-old leaned forward when the jury returned the verdicts in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday but made no visible reaction. The jury had been deliberating for six and half hours across two days following an eight-week trial.

Judge Martin Nolan remanded him in custody after the verdicts were handed down. He set a sentence date of January 15th next.

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Lynn, of Millbrook Court, Redcross, Co Wicklow had pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of theft in Dublin between October 23rd, 2006 and April 20, 2007, when he was working as a solicitor and property developer.

[ Michael Lynn: The full story of the Celtic Tiger theft trial that had to be heard twice ]

It was the second trial in the case, after the jury in the first trial last year was unable to agree on the verdicts.

It was the prosecution case that Lynn obtained multiple mortgages on the same properties in a situation where banks were unaware that other institutions were also providing finance. These properties included Glenlion, Lynn’s €5.5 million home in Howth, and multiple investment properties.

The financial institutions involved were Bank of Ireland, National Irish Bank, Irish Life and Permanent, Ulster Bank, ACC Bank, Bank of Scotland Ireland Ltd and Irish Nationwide Building Society.

Lynn took the stand and told his trial that the banks were aware he had multiple loans on the same properties and that this was custom and practice among bankers in Celtic Tiger Ireland.

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