Gerard Hutch awaits ruling on anonymous evidence in murder trial

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s murder trial at the Special Criminal Court was awaiting a ruling on an application to let 27 surveillance gardaí give evidence anonymously. The proceedings were reported on 26 October 2022.

Hutch denied murdering David Byrne during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016. His co-accused, Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy, pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to Byrne’s murder by providing access to motor vehicles on that date.

The prosecution sought to exclude the public while National Surveillance Unit members testified and to identify them by letters. Detective Superintendent Eugene Lynch said identifying details could jeopardise covert operations and investigations. He agreed that six of the 27 officers in the book of evidence had retired.

Hutch’s counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, objected that the court lacked jurisdiction and argued the application was too broad. He said anonymity could affect the public nature of the trial and the defence’s ability to scrutinise witnesses. Counsel for Bonney and Murphy adopted his submissions.

Presiding judge Ms Justice Tara Burns, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone, was due to rule on the application the following afternoon.