Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
# regency trial
Surveillance garda saw Gerry Hutch and Dowdall meet man later caught with AK-47s, court hears
Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch (59) denies the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.
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Oct 27th 2022, 7:49 PM
A SURVEILLANCE GARDA saw Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch and former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall meeting the man who was later caught with three AK-47 assault rifles used in the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, the Special Criminal Court has heard.
The three-judge court was also told today of Gerard Hutch’s brother, Patrick Hutch Senior, in the same car as convicted IRA member Shane Rowan a month after the Regency attack on 9 March 2016. Less than an hour later, Rowan was stopped driving north with the three assault rifles that had been used in the Regency Hotel shooting.
Earlier, Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding at the non-jury court, ruled that the public should be excluded from the court when 27 National Surveillance Unit (NSU) officers – of whom six are retired – give evidence and that their names, which will be handed in writing into the court, can be withheld from the defence and from the public.
The NSU members will testify under previously assigned initials and the media are prohibited from reporting on the appearances of the witnesses.
Hutch (59), last of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, denies the murder of Byrne (33) during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016.
The Special Criminal Court has already viewed CCTV footage of what the State says is Gerard Hutch making two separate journeys to Northern Ireland with former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall on 20 February and 7 March 2016.
In his opening address to the three-judge court last week, Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, said Gerard Hutch had asked Dowdall to arrange a meeting with provisional republicans to mediate or resolve the Hutch-Kinahan feud due to the threats against the accused’s family and friends. Dowdall had driven Gerard Hutch to meet the republicans on 20 February 2016, said Gillane.
An NSU member, identified in court as Member L, today gave evidence that he was on duty in the Killygordon area of Donegal on 20 February 2016 – two weeks after the murder at the Regency Hotel – when he observed Shane Rowan exiting a house at Forest Park.
A man reversed a car into a parking space at 4.35pm that day and Dowdall and Gerard Hutch were passengers in the car, he said. Rowan came out of the house to greet them, he said.
Gerard Hutch left the vehicle and went to the passenger side of Dowdall’s Toyota Land Cruiser that was parked nearby. At the same time, the witness said the driver of the car and Dowdall entered Forest Park and “beckoned” at Gerard Hutch.
Member L testified that he observed Dowdall, Gerard Hutch and the other man leave the house at Forest Park and walk in the direction of Dowdall’s Land Cruiser. Dowdall was holding a small black holdall bag with an orange trim which he placed in the boot of his car.
Gerard Hutch then got into the passenger side of the Land Cruiser and had a conversation with the other man. At that stage, Rowan left Forest Park and walked in the direction of the Land Cruiser but stopped and instead entered the house. The other man left the area in a silver Audi. Ten minutes later at 5.20pm, Rowan left Forest Park and got into a Passat and left the area.
Photographs were shown to the court of Dowdall placing a holdall in the rear of his jeep and the Passat is parked up on the right. A photo was also shown of Gerard Hutch leaving Forest Park and walking towards the rear of Dowdall’s Land Cruiser whilst Dowdall puts the bag into his jeep.
Last week, Inspector Padraig Boyce gave evidence that he participated in “an intervention” at Tuiterath, Balrath, Slane, County Meath on 9 March 2016 at 7.05pm.
Shane Rowan, he said, from Forest Park, Killygordan, in County Donegal was driving a grey 09 Donegal registered Vauxhall Insignia car and the vehicle was stopped at the side of the road. The vehicle was searched and three assault rifles modelled on original AK-47′s and ammunition were found in the boot of the car.
In July 2016, Rowan from Forest Park, Killygordan, in County Donegal was jailed for seven and a half years for possession of assault rifles and ammunition. He was also sentenced to a concurrent sentence of four years in prison for IRA membership, backdated to 9 March 2016.
Evidence has also been given that bullet cases found at the Regency Hotel murder scene were fired by the three AK-47 assault rifles.
Under cross-examination, Member L told defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, for Hutch, that he would normally keep a camera on him and that he knew the accused Hutch through his garda work.
Earlier, one officer by the name of Member CI told Fiona Murphy SC, prosecuting, that on the morning February 20, he observed the grey Toyota Land Cruiser travelling into the village of Killygordan before turning right into a housing estate at Forest Park. He said a maroon Toyota Corolla was travelling in front of the Land Cruiser.
Another NSU member, identified in court as Member NG, gave evidence that he observed the Land Cruiser carrying two males leaving Kealy’s pub on the Swords Road at 2.14pm on 7 March 2016.
The witness said he followed the jeep onto the M1 where it travelled through the toll bridge at Drogheda and he was able to observe Dowdall as the driver and Gerard Hutch as the passenger. He said Gerard Hutch had a dark beanie hat pulled down onto his forehead “on the level of his eyes”. “They went to the toll bridge at Drogheda and then went to the Carrickdale Hotel in Dundalk,” he added.
At 11.46pm that night, Member NG said he observed the Toyota Land Cruiser being driven by Dowdall and it was travelling into the village of Ardee in Co Louth. “Gerard Hutch was still the passenger and he was still wearing the beanie pulled tight over his head,” he said. The jeep then went towards the M1.
The witness said he had also observed a grey Toyota Yaris being driven by a “Mr Paddy Hutch” on 9 March at 4.51pm and that Shane Rowan was travelling in convoy with him. He said he observed them driving on Blunden Drive in Ayrfield in Dublin 13 and onto the Malahide Road before entering the Malahide Industrial Estate.
At 5.03pm, Member AG said he observed “Mr Paddy Hutch” driving the Yaris onto the Malahide Road and that Rowan was the front seat passenger. He observed them on Newtown Road and Greencastle Parade on the Malahide Road Industrial Estate.
Later that day at 6.16pm, the witness said he observed the Yaris being driven by “Patsy Hutch” into the Malahide Retail Park and that Rowan was also in the car.
At 6.23pm, the witness saw “Paddy Hutch” and Rowan drive out of a car park.
Seven minutes later, Rowan was seen driving a Vauxhall and turned left onto Greencastle Road, heading for the traffic lights. “Paddy Hutch came in the Yaris, the Yaris pulled up alongside Rowan’s car. The window of the Yaris was open and I got the impression they had a conversation at the junction,” he said.
Under cross-examination, the witness agreed with Grehan that Rowan was caught transporting the three AK-47′s – which had been linked to cartridges found at the Regency Hotel – 34 minutes after he had the last sighting of him.
Member AG also agreed with counsel that his last sighting of Dowdall’s Land Cruiser was at the Carrickdale Hotel on 7 March.
Jonathan Dowdall (44) – a married father of four with an address at Navan Road, Cabra, Dublin 7 – was due to stand trial for Byrne’s murder alongside Hutch but pleaded guilty in advance of the trial to a lesser charge of facilitating the Hutch gang by making a hotel room available ahead of the murder.
Jonathan Dowdall has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for facilitating the Hutch gang in the notorious murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne.
The former Dublin councillor is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program after agreeing to testify against former co-accused Gerard Hutch, who is charged with Byrne’s murder.
In the opening speech, Gillane said the court would hear that Gerard Hutch’s former co-accused and now State’s witness Jonathan Dowdall said Gerard Hutch had said that he [Gerry Hutch] had been one of the team that shot Byrne at the Regency.
Byrne, from Crumlin, was shot dead at the hotel in Whitehall, Dublin 9 after five men, three disguised as armed gardaí in tactical clothing and carrying AK-47 assault rifles, stormed the building during the attack, which was hosting a boxing weigh-in at the time. The victim was shot by two of the tactical assailants and further rounds were delivered to his head and body.
Byrne died after suffering catastrophic injuries from six gunshots fired from a high-velocity weapon to the head, face, stomach, hand and legs.
Hutch’s two co-accused – Paul Murphy (59), of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Jason Bonney (50), of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13 have pleaded not (NOT) guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on 5 February 2016.
It is expected that the NSU members will continue giving evidence before Ms Justice Burns, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone on Tuesday.
FAQs
What happened in Hutch case? ›
Gerard Hutch has been cleared of murdering 33-year-old David Byrne during a boxing weigh-in at Dublin's Regency Airport Hotel in 2016. Former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall had been charged with the murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of facilitating murder.
How did Hutch-Kinahan feud start? ›The feud between the Kinahan cartel and Hutch mob was initially sparked by the cold-blooded hit on Gary Hutch in Spain in 2015. However, it was the attack at a boxing weigh-in event in Dublin's Regency Hotel in February 2016 – which left Kinahan mobster David Byrne dead – that really ignited the gang war.
Why did Hutch get off? ›Hutch (60) walked free from the Special Criminal Court after being found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne on Monday - and therefore left all of his belongings that he had in prison behind.
How did Hutch walk free? ›Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch wakes up a free man today after he was found not guilty of the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne following one of the country's most explosive criminal trials.
Has Hutch been found guilty? ›Gerard Hutch has been found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne. Mr Byrne, 33, was shot dead at a boxing weigh-in event at Dublin's Regency Hotel in February 2016.
Is Hutch guilty or not? ›Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has been found not guilty of murdering Kinahan associate David Byrne. Hutch, who always denied the murder of 33-year-old Byrne during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on 5 February 2016, learned his fate on Monday after more than a year in custody.
Were Kinahan and Hutch friends? ›Noel "Kingsize" Duggan: † A close friend of Gerry Hutch, it is known to the police that he was involved in the lucrative cigarette smuggling in Dublin. He was murdered on 23 March 2016 by a team of hitmen connected to Christy Kinahan.
How much money do the kinahans have? ›Since the turn of the century, the Irishman is suspected of building a sprawling international drug cartel that is now ranked alongside the Italian mafia and estimated to have assets worth more than $1bn (around £800m).
How did Daniel Kinahan escape? ›Kinahan was the target of the group of gunmen who burst into the hotel in 2016 and opened fire in the Regency Hotel in Dublin. He fled to safety on foot but his associate David Byrne (34), from Crumlin, was shot dead and a number of other men were wounded but survived.
What was the phone call Hutch got at the end of nobody? ›Who called Hutch at the end of the movie ? Hutch's former employer who got him released from police custody. It's a get out of the jail for service required card.
Why is Hutch a nobody? ›
That day, Hutch retired from the killing business and started his own family. Assassins or hitmen like Hutch, live their life in shadow, and they hold no real identity. That is why Hutch calls himself a “nobody.”
When did Gerry Hutch get released? ›Gerard Hutch (born 11 April 1963) is an Irish criminal. He was the prime suspect for two of the biggest armed robberies in Irish history. Known for leading a "disciplined, ascetic lifestyle" since leaving prison in 1985, he was nicknamed "The Monk" by investigative journalist Veronica Guerin.
Who was walking beside Gerry Hutch? ›Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and brother Patsy 'may no longer be talking' after Regency trial. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch appears to have “fallen out” with his brother Patsy after walking free from court a week ago today after he was found not guilty of murder.
Is Gerry the Monk free? ›He spent years moving around Europe as he desperately tried to stay one step ahead of the cartel, who even sent hit squads to the continent to hunt him down. But now that the Monk is a free man and has been found not guilty of the Byrne murder, sources say the cartel will still murder him if they get a chance.
Is Gerry Hutch in danger? ›In the absence of corroboration evidence, the court was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Gerry Hutch was one of the hitmen involved in the attack and he was acquitted. He walked free from the courthouse a short time later, with Gardaí later warning him that his life is in danger.
Where is the monk Hutch now? ›Hutch is currently on a restricted landing in Dublin's Wheatfield prison where he keeps himself busy writing legal notes to his legal team. His trial at the Special Criminal Court lasted 13 long weeks which ended with the prosecution stating that he was one of the men who shot David Byrne at the Regency hotel.
Will the monk be found guilty? ›Gerry Hutch verdict: 'The Monk' found not guilty in Regency murder trial - as it happened - Dublin Live.
Who is Gerry Hutch wife? › Why are the US looking for the Kinahans? ›In addition to narcotics trafficking, the Kinahans have engaged in money laundering, firearms trafficking, and murder. The KTCO gained notoriety in 2016 when a feud with the rival Hutch drug trafficking gang – also from the inner city of Dublin – led to a shooting attack at a Dublin hotel.
Who is Mr Flashy? ›'Mr Flashy' leads a group of young criminals who are part of what has been called the 'Gucci gang', because of their love of high-end cars, clothes and jewellery. The crime boss is believed to be in hiding after at least four attempts on his life from rival criminals.
Is Kin based on the Kinahan family? ›
Background. Prior to the series premiere', several news outlets stated the series was inspired by the Kinahan gang and the Hutch–Kinahan feud, and noted similarities to former RTE staple Love/Hate. A show "insider" stated that "This is not the Kinahans' story, but people can draw their own conclusions.
Who is the most famous Irish criminal? ›Martin Cahill was a Dublin crime lord who became famous in his lifetime as Ireland's most notorious criminal, and he is considered by many to be the best known Irish criminal of all time.
How rich is the Kinahan cartel? ›THE estimated €1billion fortune of the Kinahan Cartel is likely a “fraction” of their true riches, a former top cop has revealed. Exiled cartel crime lord Daniel Kinahan, 45, is on the run in Dubai after the American government placed a $5million bounty on his head.
Who is the most wanted in Ireland? ›Two Irishmen feature on Interpol's Most Wanted List, it was revealed yesterday. The international police organisation recently issued “red notices” for Dubliner James Staurvik and Conor Vincent D'Monte.
Who is Ireland's most notorious gangsters? ›The most prominent members have included Eddie McGrath, James Coonan, Mickey Featherstone, James McElroy, and Edward Cummiskey.
Why was Daniel Kinahan podcast Cancelled? ›It came as it emerged the Criminal Assets Bureau has been pursuing Kinahan as part of a case which opens evidence against the Dubliner in the High Court next month. But today, podcast host and Kerry Katona's ex English said he was "sad to inform" people that the chat had to be pulled but hoped to get it out in future.
How did the monk get caught? ›Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch made witty joke to Garda who swooped on him during dramatic Spain arrest. RTE Prime Time tonight revealed new details on the operation which led to the arrest of The Monk in Fuengirola in August 2021.
Is Hutch Mansell an assassin? ›Hutch sends his family to safety before setting his house on fire to destroy any evidence. Hutch reveals, to a group of chained dead/beat-up thugs, that he is a former "auditor" ("the last guy any organization wants to see at their door"), an assassin employed by intelligence agencies.
What does the 72 tattoo mean in Nobody? ›So the interpretation of it is, imo, that if you see this tattoo you see a 7-2 in your hands, meaning that by meeting this person you just got dealt the worst possible hand by them. You are best off never meeting them.
Who rang at the end of Nobody? ›Nobody Ending Explained: Who Called Hutch And What It Means
Becca encourages her to answer the phone, and it turns out the call is for Hutch. Though the audience isn't privy to Hutch's call, he and Becca subsequently asks if the house has a basement.
Is Nobody related to John Wick? ›
Nobody, your dad's John Wick, is having a much deserved second life on Netflix. 2021's Nobody is one of those deliciously schlocky action movies that delivers on its smooth-brained promise: in this case, giving Bob Odenkirk a platform to shoot a conveyor belt of guns at a greater production line of faceless Russians.
Does Hutch's wife know his past in Nobody? ›"Whether it'll happen, time will tell, but all the necessary seeds have been planted," he said. It's not a spoiler to note that Hutch's wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), certainly knew about his past when she married him, even if they've kept the secret from their two kids.
Who did Hutch work for in Nobody? ›Synopsis. Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is a seemingly ordinary man; he has two children with his wife Becca (Connie Nielson), has an unremarkable job as an office worker in his father-in-law Eddie's (Michael Ironside) metal fabrication company, and generally keeps to himself.
Has the monk left Ireland? ›Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch has reportedly left Ireland and returned to Lanzarote after being cleared of murder. Hutch was recently found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne and has been residing in Ireland since the trial.
How old was Gerry Ryan when he died? ›RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan died on 30 April 2010, aged 53. Ryan had been presenting The Gerry Ryan Show since 1988 and at the time of his death had the largest audience on RTÉ 2fm.
How much is the monk worth? ›Tony Shalhoub is an American actor who has a net worth of $20 million. He is best-known as the star of the critically acclaimed USA Network television show "Monk," which ran from 2002 to 2009 and produced 125 episodes over its 8 seasons.
What has Gerry Hutch done? ›Born in 1963, Hutch began his criminal career with the gang called the Bugsy Malones, snatching cash and other low-level crimes. He picked up convictions between 1970 and 1983 and despite being questioned over various other crimes was never successfully prosecuted again.
Who is Patsy Hutch? ›Patsy is the father of Gary Hutch, who was brutally murdered by the Kinahan cartel in September 2015, and whose death sparked the bloody Kinahan Hutch feud. Earlier in the day before we approached Patsy, we spotted his sons Patrick and Derek 'Del Boy' Hutch - seen together in public for the first time.
Who was the tall man walking in front of the Hurse? ›Standing to his right was Paul Whybrew, affectionately known as 'Tall Paul' because he stands at 6ft 4in, who is page of the backstairs - a senior role that oversees the male staff.
What is the monk guilty of? ›Both men pleaded guilty to 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 ...
Why did Veronica Guerin call Gerry Hutch the monk? ›
He abhorred the use of drugs and the problems it caused. This was what ultimately earned him the nickname 'The Monk' as he acted soberly at all times, just as monks are trained to do. The nickname was bestowed upon him by Veronica Guerin, the journalist who was murdered in 1996.
Was Gerry Ryan Married? ›Ryan was married for 26 years to his wife Morah, with whom he had five children, including Lottie. When he worked for the pirate radio station Big D, Morah helped him with his programme. She helped her future husband put the music together and carry the equipment.
Why did Gary Hutch get shot? ›Allegedly, Gerry Hutch had organised with Daniel Kinahan for a close associate of Gerry's to be shot in a "punishment shooting", as compensation for Gary's supposed role as an informant.
Was the monk found not guilty? ›Gerry “the Monk” Hutch has been found not guilty by a non-jury court of the high-profile murder of David Byrne at a Dublin hotel seven years ago.
Who is Hutch that died? ›Murder of Dan "Hutch" Hutchinson
Police said the murder was a targeted killing. Hutchinson was inside his SUV with his wife when a car had pulled up to the lane next to him and fired into the vehicle. While the victim's wife escaped uninjured, Hutchinson was struck and later succumbed to his injuries.
Ethan Rickover (also referred to as simply "The Judge") was a judge on the California Court of Appeals. At the time he was earmarked for appointment to the state Supreme Court, he was also, finally discovered to have been the one responsible for the murder of Trudy Monk.
Does Monk ever find out who killed his wife? ›Eventually, this led Monk to Frank Nunn, the man who remotely detonated the bomb, killing Trudy. Before he could reveal who hired him for the job, Frank was killed. With that, Adrian solved the “how” of the murder, but the why was still a huge mystery.
Which Monk died without ever seeing a woman? ›A Greek Orthodox monk on Mount Athos, the center of Orthodox monasticism, died at the age of 82 without ever seeing a woman. This is the story of Michael Tolotos. Born around 1856, Tolotos faced a tragic start to his life when his mother passed away a mere four hours after his birth.