Courts / Dublin / Report

Court clears 'The Monk' of Regency Hotel murder

Date
2023-04-17

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Special Criminal Court acquitted Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin 9 on February 5, 2016. Ms Justice Tara Burns stated the court could not rely on the unsupported evidence of Jonathan Dowdall, whose credibility was severely undermined by his criminal history and inconsistencies. The court found surveillance audio did not corroborate Dowdall's claim that Hutch confessed to being a hitman, noting instead that the recordings suggested Hutch was abroad immediately after the attack. While Hutch was cleared, co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney were found guilty of participating in or contributing to the murder by providing access to motor vehicles. Their sentences are scheduled to be mentioned on May 8. Separately, Patrick Dowdall admitted to falsely imprisoning Alexander Hurley and threatening to kill him in 2015. He was initially sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, later reduced to seven years and 11 months following a successful appeal. His father, also named Patrick Dowdall, was sentenced to eight years for the same offences, later reduced to four years. The report confirms the procedural stage for the primary subjects is sentence, with specific dates and durations preserved for the convicted individuals.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court clears 'The Monk' of Regency Hotel murder. Charges or matters: 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; 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:

September 2021 Incident
February 5, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
September 29 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
September 29 Incident
April 2021 Incident
March 7 2016 Other
February 5 2016 Incident
Monday February 8, 2016 Incident
February 20 Hearing Or Sentence
March 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
February 4, 2016 Incident
February 7 Hearing Or Sentence
May 8 Hearing Or Sentence
March 2022 Other
May 2016 Incident
June 2017 Incident
January 15, 2015 Incident
January 2015 Incident
March 9 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
March 7 Incident
May 2014 Incident
October 3 2022 Incident
2023-04-17 Publication

Case subjects

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: 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.

Paul Murphy

Convicted Person

Outcome: That will be mentioned on May 8, when Bonney and Murphy are sentenced.