Courts / Dublin / Report

Case against the Monk 'stands or falls' on evidence of 'proven liar' Dowdall, defence counsel tells trial

Summary

In the Special Criminal Court, Gerard Hutch, Paul Murphy, and Jason Bonney face charges related to the murder of David Byrne during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. Mr. Hutch is accused of the murder, while Mr. Murphy and Mr. Bonney are charged with participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to motor vehicles. The matter is currently at the sentencing stage, although the source text details the defense counsel's closing speech, arguing that the prosecution's case relies heavily on the testimony of Jonathan Dowdall, whom they described as a proven liar and perjurer. Counsel Brendan Grehan SC contended that the audio recordings presented by the prosecution did not contain unambiguous admissions of guilt by Mr. Hutch. He argued that the recordings suggested Mr. Hutch was involved in post-incident mediation rather than the attack itself. The defense emphasized that Mr. Hutch is not charged with firearms offenses and that the prosecution's case stands or falls on the credibility of Mr. Dowdall. The court has not yet delivered a verdict or sentence in this report.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Case against the Monk 'stands or falls' on evidence of 'proven liar' Dowdall, defence counsel tells trial. Charges or matters: participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 7, 2016 Incident
• February 5, 2016 Incident
• February 2015 Other
• January 2016 Other
• 2023-01-25 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report