Courts / Dublin / Report

'What was lost is now found': Regency trial hears gardai have recovered destroyed tracker records

Date
2022-11-21

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Special Criminal Court has sentenced Jonathan Dowdall to four years' imprisonment for facilitating the murder of David Byrne. Dowdall, a former Sinn Fein councillor, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of providing access to motor vehicles and a hotel room to the accused group on February 5, 2016. He is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program after agreeing to testify against co-accused Gerard Hutch. Hutch, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Byrne, remains on trial alongside Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, both of whom also pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to vehicles. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Tara Burns and two other judges, was adjourned until 2pm this afternoon. Prosecutors informed the court that the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau had recovered destroyed tracker records from a desktop computer, which had been listed for destruction. Defense counsel for Hutch requested time to consider how to proceed following this development. The court heard that these records, related to a tracker device on Dowdall's vehicle, were previously believed to be permanently lost. The trial continues with the examination of evidence regarding the movements of the accused in the days surrounding the shooting at the Regency Hotel.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'What was lost is now found': Regency trial hears gardai have recovered destroyed tracker records. Charges or matters: Mr Byrne's murder; participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

February 7 Incident
March 23 Other
February 5, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
January 18 Hearing Or Sentence
February 20, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
February 20 Hearing Or Sentence
March 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
2022-11-21 Publication

Why: Data records older than three years that were not required for prosecution or appeal were destroyed in order to improve storage and the security of data, he said. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Gerard Hutch

Co Accused

Charges: Mr Byrne's murder; participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Dowdall has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for facilitating the Hutch gang in the notorious murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne.

Jason Bonney

Defendant

Charges: participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Jonathan Dowdall

Defendant

Charges: Mr Byrne's murder; participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Dowdall has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for facilitating the Hutch gang in the notorious murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne.; However, Mr Gillane said he was not in a position to call Asst Comm Orla McPartlin yet and the trial has been adjourned until 2pm.

Paul Murphy

Defendant

Charges: participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty