Regency trial is on hold as top Garda death investigated
Third delay hits hotel murder case
THE Regency murder trial has been adjourned to allow a probe into the death of a Garda officer.
Detective Superintendent Colm Fox, who was the lead investigator in the case, was found dead in his office at Ballymun Garda station on February 10.
An official firearm was recovered at the scene.
Yesterday, three notes written by the officer were handed to the three-judge panel at the Special Criminal Court by prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane.
Patricia Ryan, Tony Hunt and Ann Ryan retired to their chambers to consider the matter.
Mr Gillane told the court the judges would get “context” for his application to adjourn the case when they read the documents.
Revealing there was a separate inquiry taking place into the death of Det Supt Fox, the barrister said: “It’s felt it would be safer for everyone to allow the investigation to be completed before the trial will proceed.”
He added a delay was the “safest path” so no parties involved in the case would be “taken by surprise”.
Having considered the State application
Mr Justice Hunt, speaking on behalf of the panel, said “in the circumstances” an adjournment was required. The case will appear in court again on March 22.
Patrick Hutch, 25, of Champions Avenue in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 34-year-old David Byrne at the city’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.
He has also denied the possession of three AK47 assault rifles at the same location on the same day.
The trial has been held up by several adjournments.
It was halted after a defence application to facilitate a trawl through thousands of Garda emails. The search focused on messages between four investigators.
It was also adjourned on Monday due to an “unprecedented conundrum”. The State’s case rests on the identification by two detectives of Patrick Hutch from a press photograph.
They told the court they recognised the accused as the person snapped at the scene of the murder dressed as a woman.
Mr Byrne was gunned down in the reception area of the hotel. Two other men were
shot during the incident.