Courts / Dublin / Report

Dowdall vows to rebuild life as seven-day cross examination comes to an end

Date
2022-12-21

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Special Criminal Court heard the final day of cross-examination of Jonathan Dowdall, a State's witness in the trial of Gerard Hutch, who is accused of the murder of David Byrne. Dowdall, who pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder by providing a room at the Regency Hotel, denied allegations that he is a manipulator or liar. The defence challenged his testimony regarding alleged meetings with Hutch, playing audio recordings and phone data that contradicted his timeline. The court refused to allow the defence to play a video of Dowdall waterboarding Alexander Hurley, noting that Dowdall had already pleaded guilty to that offence and was re-sentenced to seven years and 11 months imprisonment following a successful appeal. His father, Patrick Dowdall, who also pleaded guilty to the same offence, was re-sentenced to four years imprisonment after his appeal. The trial continues with Hutch, who denies the murder charge, and co-defendants Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in the murder by providing access to vehicles. The matter remains ongoing, with no finalisation or adjournment recorded in this report.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dowdall vows to rebuild life as seven-day cross examination comes to an end. Charges or matters: it; murder there could have been some sort of hope but the one place he couldn't do business again was here in Ireland. "I will always rebuild my life no matter if I've to dig dog shite to clean kennels to feed my children," said Dowdall, raising his voice; participating in or contributing to activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation or any of its members, to wit the murder of David Byrne, by making a room available at the Regency Hotel, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 for that criminal organisation or its members, within the State on February 4, 2016; participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5

When:

January 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
March 9, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
Monday, March 7 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
February 20 Hearing Or Sentence
March 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
February 5, 2016 Incident
February 8 2016 Incident
February 20, 2016 Other
June 2017 Incident
January 15, 2015 Incident
March 9 2016 Incident
March 9 Incident
Friday, March 11 2016 Other
March 4 Incident
February 4, 2016 Incident
February 4 Other
February 8, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
Monday February 8, 2016 Other
Sunday February 7 Other
Monday February 8 Other
February 8 Incident
February 7 Other
January 11 Hearing Or Sentence
May 2014 Incident
October 3 Incident
February 5 Hearing Or Sentence
2022-12-21 Publication

Why: Dowdall said he was asking because he was still worried that he was being blamed for bringing 'Flat Cap' Kevin Murray into the Regency hotel. CNI source report

Case subjects

Gerard Hutch

Accused

Charges: it (Alleged Or Contested)

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

Accused

Charges: facilitating Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne's murder, has denied under cross-examination for the past seven days contentions that he is a "master manipulator", that he is prepared to lie on oath and had told "two big lies" in his direct evidence; it (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: In June 2017, Dowdall was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and his father Patrick Dowdall eight years imprisonment after pleading guilty to falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley and threatening to kill him at Jonathan's family home on January 15, 2015. Dowdall was later re-sentenced to 7 years and 11 months and Patrick Dowdall to four years imprisonment after successful appeals.

Patrick Dowdall

Appellant

Charges: it; murder there could have been some sort of hope but the one place he couldn't do business again was here in Ireland. "I will always rebuild my life no matter if I've to dig dog shite to clean kennels to feed my children," said Dowdall, raising his voice; participating in or contributing to activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation or any of its members, to wit the murder of David Byrne, by making a room available at the Regency Hotel, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 for that criminal organisation or its members, within the State on February 4, 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Dowdall was later re-sentenced to 7 years and 11 months and Patrick Dowdall to four years imprisonment after successful appeals. The court has previously heard that at that time Dowdall had already tortured a man by waterboarding him and would later be sentenced to 12 years in prison for that crime.

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