The prosecution in the €52 million theft and fraud trial of Thomas Byrne has characterised the former solicitor as a 'gambler' who does not throw in the towel.

In his closing address, barrister, Remy Farrell SC, has put it to the jury that as the former solicitor got deeper and deeper into debt his solution was to tell more lies and borrow more money.

Mr. Byrne, (47) of Mountjoy Square in Dublin has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 50 counts of theft, forgery, using forged documents and deception between 2004 and 2007. The father of three admits repeatedly using properties as collateral on large bank loans.

He claims clients of his legal practice sold properties to him or agreed to transfer them into his name to be used as securities on his borrowings.

Mr. Farrell, for the prosecution, has asked the jury to consider is Thomas Byrne the unluckiest man in Ireland that 11 witnesses, including friends and former clients, deny engaging in what he called ‘weird’ transactions which could have resulted in them losing their houses if Mr Byrne defaulted on his loans.

He added that it is 'preposterous, bizarre and absurd' that a lawyer would not have recorded such unorthodox deals in writing.

He asked the jury to consider whether Mr. Byrne's defence is that the 'dog ate his homework, not once, twice but ten times over'.

He said the case was a 'window into the past with millions being dished out on foot of someone arriving into the bank and saying I own all this property'.

Mr. Farrell put it to the jury that Mr. Byrne's suggestion that he intended to pay back his loans was fantastical and 'utter cloud cuckoo nonsense'.

'How much practice income do you think you'd need to service never mind repay €50 million?', he asked.

He said it is the prosecution's case that the issue of repayment is absolutely irrelevant because it is alleged the money was obtained by deception and fraud.

Remy Farrell also addressed Thomas Byrne's defence that he was being threatened by his former business partner John Kelly.

He said the property developer was likened to a vampire bleeding the father of 3 dry with Mr. Byrne in the role of a battered spouse unable to get up and do anything.

He argued this was belied by a written partnership agreement between the two men. The defence will give its final address to the jury this afternoon.