The High Court will decide tomorrow whether Sean Quinn Sr is to be jailed for contempt of court.

Lawyers for the former billionaire say he wants to purge his contempt, but can’t undo the multi-million euro asset stripping at the heart of the Quinn-Anglo court battle.

“If I could change the past, I would” – lawyers for Sean Quinn Sr say his family has been devastated by the fallout of the ongoing legal battle with the former Anglo Irish Bank.

The 66 year-old’s barrister made an impassioned plea to the High Court, claiming because he wasn’t involved in the nuts and bolts of the asset-stripping plan, he has a limited ability to undo it.

Once a leading light of the Celtic Tiger, they said he was now “bereft of economic and financial dignity,”

Justice Elizabeth Dunne said she wanted to consider everything handed in to her today, and would decide tomorrow morning whether to impose a jail term.

If the ruling goes against him, the former billionaire may not be brought straight to prison – the bank has indicated it won’t object to a stay on the ruling, pending his Supreme Court appeal.