Courts / Dublin / Report

Youtube post showed David Byrne lying dead after Regency attack, Monk's trial hears

Date
2023-01-18

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The trial of Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch, who denies the murder of David Byrne, heard evidence regarding a YouTube video showing the victim dead after the Regency Hotel attack. Co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, both pleading not guilty to facilitating the murder by providing vehicles, face charges of participating in criminal activity. The court heard from Detective Garda Paul Darley about the clip, which captured voices discussing the scene and a van exiting the premises. The prosecution also presented evidence from taxi driver Paul Brady, who rented a plate to Murphy, and Detective Alan Crummey, who took statements from Murphy regarding a potential vehicle clone. The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns. Separately, former co-accused Patrick Dowdall (65) was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for facilitating the murder by booking a hotel room. His son, Jonathan Dowdall, pleaded guilty to the same facilitation charge and was jailed for four years by the Special Criminal Court. A nolle prosequi was entered on Jonathan Dowdall's murder charge following his guilty plea. The validated procedural stage for the current defendants is sentence, though the trial is ongoing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Youtube post showed David Byrne lying dead after Regency attack, Monk's trial hears. Charges or matters: participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016; facilitating Mr Byrne's murder, was on the stand for eight days in December and cross-examined for seven of those by Mr Hutch's defence counsel Mr Grehan before the Christmas break; 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. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

February 5, 2016 Incident
February 25 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
February 9 2016 Incident
February 5 Incident
Sunday February 7 2016 Other
February 22, 2016 Other
March 3, 2016 Other
May 2014 Incident
October 3 Incident
February 4, 2016 Incident
February 4 Other
Christmas Other
2023-01-18 Publication

Why: Asked about his experience in relation to the cloning in the taxi industry, the witness said because he was a plate holder he has had cars cloned twice or three times. CNI source report

Case subjects

Jason Bonney

Defendant

Charges: participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016; facilitating Mr Byrne's murder, was on the stand for eight days in December and cross-examined for seven of those by Mr Hutch's defence counsel Mr Grehan before the Christmas break; 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 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Patrick Dowdall

Convicted Person

Charges: 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: Patrick Dowdall (65) was jailed for two years before the Regency trial started after he also admitted his part in booking the hotel room for the raiders.

Paul Murphy

Defendant

Plea: Not guilty