Three former Anglo executives to appeal convictions

Three former bank executives jailed for conspiracy are set to bring appeals against their convictions next March.

In July, former Anglo Irish Bank executives John Bowe and Willie McAteer and the former chief executive of Irish Life and Permanent, Denis Casey, were found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of agreeing a scheme to mislead the public about the true health of the bank.

Bowe (52), from Glasnevin in Dublin, McAteer (65), of Greenrath, Tipperary town and Casey (56), from Raheny, in Dublin had pleaded not guilty to conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to make Anglo appear €7.2 billion more valuable between March 1st and September 30th, 2008.

Their trial was the longest criminal trial in the history of the State.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Bowe to two years, McAteer to three-and-a-half years and Casey to two years and nine months imprisonment on July 29th, 2016.

The three men have lodged appeals against their convictions and a hearing date was fixed on Friday for the week beginning March 6th.

Mr Justice George Birmingham, who oversees the progression of cases through the three-judge court, said a week-long appeal hearing would be "the longest appeal" since the court was established in 2014.

He said the court would hear the case no matter how long it took, but “would hope it might be possible to deal with more it expeditiously than that”.

Mr Justice Birmingham provisionally fixed the hearing for the week commencing March 6th.

The judge also granted legal aid to McAteer on the same terms and conditions as he was on the Circuit Court, which was uncontested.

McAteer and Casey have also lodged appeals against their sentences while Bowe has not, according to court records.

The three men were not in court for the procedural matter.