Courts / Dublin / Report

Regency hotel getaway drivers fail in bid to overturn their convictions

Date
2025-11-10

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Swords

County
Dublin

Summary

The Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of Jason Bonney, aged 55, and Paul Murphy, aged 64, who were found guilty of acting as getaway drivers during the 2016 Regency Hotel attack in Dublin, in which Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne was killed. Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed all grounds of appeal advanced by both men, finding the evidence presented to the Special Criminal Court was capable of supporting the convictions. The judge rejected contentions that CCTV footage was insufficiently reliable to identify the vehicles involved and that the men lacked knowledge of the Hutch criminal organisation. He also dismissed arguments that pre-arrest interviews should have been ruled inadmissible. Murphy, from Swords, County Dublin, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, while Bonney, from Portmarnock, Dublin, received eight and a half years. Both men indicated they will proceed with separate appeals against their sentences. Paul Murphy pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Regency hotel getaway drivers fail in bid to overturn their convictions. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Acquitted

When:

February 5, 2016 Other
October 2024 Incident
2025-11-10 Publication

Why: Mr Condon had also argued that interviews gardai conducted with his client prior to his arrest should have been ruled inadmissible because gardai had failed to caution him or to tell him that he was entitled to a solicitor. CNI source report

Case subjects

Paul Murphy

Appellant

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Acquitted

Outcome: Acquitted; Following the court's ruling, lawyers for each of the men confirmed they both plan to go ahead with appeals against their respective sentences.