Courts / Dublin / Report

Evidence on Hutch identification might have been "compromised", barristers submit

Summary

In the Special Criminal Court, a barrister argued that evidence used to identify Patrick Hutch as the man dressed as a woman outside the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016 may have been compromised by press coverage. Hutch, aged 25, pleads not guilty to the murder of David Byrne, aged 34, and denies possession of three AK47 rifles. The prosecution maintains Hutch was the woman‑dressed suspect and part of a shared intent to commit the offence. The defence challenges the identification made by detectives Fergal O'Flaherty and Jonathan Brady after viewing a photograph taken by a Sunday World photographer. The barrister contended that a Garda witness, Michael Ryan, could have been influenced by a January 17 Irish Independent report detailing the detectives' identification. The court is hearing the admissibility of this evidence in a voir dire, with the trial set to resume on Monday before Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Ann Ryan.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Evidence on Hutch identification might have been "compromised", barristers submit. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• February 5th 2016 Incident
• January 17th Hearing Or Sentence
• 2018-01-19 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report