Courts / Dublin / Report
No phone evidence that Dowdall met Hutch on one proposed 'confession' date
Summary
The Regency Hotel trial continued in the Special Criminal Court with Senior intelligence analyst Sarah Skedd testifying regarding phone records. Skedd stated there is no clear evidence supporting Jonathan Dowdall's claim that he met Gerard Hutch in a Whitehall park to hear a confession about the murder of David Byrne. While a cell site potentially covering the park was used on February 7, 2016, at 3.16pm, Dowdall's phone connected to a mast in Finglas just 4.5 minutes later, suggesting insufficient time for the meeting. Skedd confirmed no records support a meeting on February 8. Dowdall, who pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder by booking a room at the Regency Hotel, was previously sentenced to four years' imprisonment. His father, Patrick Dowdall, also admitted to the facilitation offence and was jailed for two years. Gerard Hutch, 59, of Clontarf, Dublin 3, and co-accused Paul Murphy, 61, of Swords, and Jason Bonney, 52, of Portmarnock, have all pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. The defence, led by Brendan Grehan SC, challenged Dowdall's credibility, arguing his account was inconsistent with the digital evidence presented by the State.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: No phone evidence that Dowdall met Hutch on one proposed 'confession' date. 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 Brendan Grehan SC 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; participating in or contributing to activity intending to or bei
When:
- Sunday February 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 7 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 8 Hearing Or Sentence
- Sunday February 7 Incident
- February 5, 2016 Other
- December 12 Incident
- Monday February 8 2016 Incident
- December 13 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 4, 2016 Incident
- Monday February 8, 2016 Other
- February 4 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 8 2016 Incident
- Monday February 8 Incident
- February 7 2016 Other
- February 4 2016 Other
- February 5 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 2014 Incident
- October 3 Incident
- February 20 Incident
- March 7, 2016 Incident
- Christmas Incident
- 2023-01-20 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
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 Brendan Grehan SC 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
Co Accused
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 Brendan Grehan SC 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
Defendant
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: Dowdall – who previously served as an elected Sinn Fein councillor in the north inner city ward in May 2014 and resigned less than one year later – was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for the facilitation offence. Dowdall's father 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.
Accused
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 Brendan Grehan SC 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
Accused
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 Brendan Grehan SC 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 (Alleged Or Contested)
Places mentioned
- Dublin park
- Collins Avenue
- Richmond Road
- Navan Road
- CROSS-EXAMINATION ABOUT MEETING AT PARK
- Dublin
- Cherry Avenue
- Swords
- Portmarnock
- Newbrook Avenue
- Donaghmede
- Navan
- Navan Road
- Crumlin
- Special Criminal Court
- The Special Criminal Court
Topics
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