Courts / Dublin / Report

Hutch identification evidence admissible, Regency trial judges rule

Summary

In the Special Criminal Court, judges ruled that key prosecution evidence identifying Patrick Hutch as the man dressed as a woman in a photo taken outside the Regency Hotel on the day of David Byrne's murder is admissible. The defence had objected, claiming the two detectives, Fergal O'Flaherty and Jonathan Brady, had not acted separately and that the identification process was tainted. Mr Justice Tony Hunt said there was no evidence the detectives were together when they made the identification, nor that the process was contaminated. Hutch, aged 25, pleaded not guilty to Byrne's murder and to possessing three AK‑47 rifles. The court noted that the detectives had viewed the photo two days after the shooting, with Sergeant Patrick O'Toole supervising and Garda Michael Ryan displaying the image. The trial was adjourned until Monday afternoon.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Hutch identification evidence admissible, Regency trial judges rule. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• February 5th 2016 Incident
• 2018-02-02 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report