Wheelchair-bound in Tyrone, dying Dublin feud murder suspect
REGENCY Hotel murder suspect Kevin ‘Flat Cap’ Murray has been photographed in a wheelchair in Strabane weeks after a judge ruled he was too ill to stand trial.
The ruling was made because the 47-year-old’s health was “deteriorating” and he was in a hospice.
Murray was seen in his Co Tyrone hometown at the weekend. He was pushed in a wheelchair by a relative for 30 minutes.
He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and has been receiving end-of-life care at the hospice.
Murray was allegedly hired by the Hutch family to murder David Byrne in the hotel in Dublin in February 2016. A judge ruled that his rapidly deteriorating health meant he could not be extradited to the Republic of Ireland to stand trial for murder.
Murray’s lawyers argued against his extradition on the grounds that he would be unlikely to stand trial given his condition.
The extradition attempts were ended by Judge Patricia Smyth at Belfast Recorder’s Court back in May.
“I’m satisfied the only appropriate course I can take is to discharge the requested person,” she said.
Counsel for the Irish State accepted the decision but sought a three-month adjournment in case his condition improved.
However, the judge said that, based on the doctor’s report earlier this year, it was clear “the requested person is dying”.