Bust billionaire Sean Quinn will be home for Christmas

Gets a temporary holiday release from jail

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Former business tycoon Sean Quinn

Photo by PA

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Bankrupt businessman Sean Quinn will be home in time for Christmas after a judge ordered his temporary release from prison.

The bust billionaire is currently serving time in Mountjoy for contempt of court in his legal battle with the former Anglo Irish Bank.

Quinn will now get to spend three days and nights with his family in Cavan, over the festive period according to a report in the Irish Sun.

Under a headline reading ‘Away Quinn A Manger,' the paper says that the disgraced entrepreneur will enjoy temporary release on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day.

But the 66-year-old dad of five will miss his granddaughter’s christening if it goes ahead as planned on Saturday.

Family friend and local parish priest Fr Gerry Comiskey told  the paper that Quinn, once Ireland’s richest man, is ‘just chuffed’ at spending Christmas at home.

Fr Comiskey was visiting Quinn in jail when he got the news.

He told the Irish Sun: “Sean was absolutely delighted. I was with him. He didn’t cry, he just smiled.

“All week he had been adopting the attitude that whatever will be, will be about the release application.

“But it means so much to the family. He has been married for 40 years and has never been apart from his wife at Christmas.”

A statement from Ireland’s Prison Service confirmed compassionate temporary release has been granted for Quinn whose sentence will end on January 3.

It said factors cited for consideration in the application included his age, previous good character, behaviour in custody, long-term health difficulties and the health problems of his wife Patricia.

Quinn has served six of the nine weeks he was sentenced to in the training wing of Mountjoy Prison.

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