‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ in Hutch hearing
Final speeches begin today in the Regency murder trial
[I was] very frightened & shocked.. my family have been through hell and back JASON BONNEY ON BEING TOLD OF THREAT TO HIS LIFE
THE closing speeches of the Hutch trial are set to begin today after 12 weeks of high drama at the Special Criminal Court.
Gerry Hutch, 59, is charged with the murder of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne, 34, in Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. He has pleased not guilty.
Yesterday the court heard that the prosecution is now in a position to close its case against Hutch and his co-accused men Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy.
Murphy, 61, of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Bonney, 50, of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin have pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of Mr Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles.
And after being asked by Ms Justice Tara Burns if the State is in a position to give its closing speech in the case today, Prosecuting Counsel Sean Gillane indicated that it is.
Mr Gillane told the court that there now seems to be “light at the end of the tunnel, subject to no oncoming train”.
He further stated that Fiona Murphy SC, who is also a senior barrister for the prosecution would make the closing speech.
In it the State will sum up its case against the three accused before the defence give their closing speeches. Central to the prosecution’s case against Gerry Hutch are a bugged 10-hour conversation he had with State witness Jonathan Dowdall.
In those the pair are heard discussing the movement of the “three yokes,” alleged to be the AK47 rifles used in the Regency Hotel shooting.
The prosecution alleges that Hutch was “one of the team” involved in the Regency Hotel shooting on February 5, 2016.
It also alleges that Hutch met Dowdall in a park at Whitehall in Dublin days after the shooting and confessed to him.
Dowdall has told the court that an agitated Hutch told him that he and
James “Mago” Gately “shot that young lad David Byrne” in the foyer of the hotel that day.
Earlier the court heard submissions from Bernard Condon SC against the admissibility of Automatic Number Plate Recognition evidence against his client Murphy in the case.
Mr Condon argued that the evidence had not been proven in the case, and that no witness had been called by the prosecution to do so.
He argued that the evidence was computer generated, and said on that basis it should be ruled inadmissible by the judges.
Ms Justice Tara Burns, and judges Grainne Malone and Sarah Berkeley will rule on its admissibility today. The court also heard yesterday further details about a Garda interview with Bonney.
In that interview the court heard that Bonney spoke to gardai about receiving a Garda Information Message formally notifying him of a threat to his life.
Bonney said he was “very frightened” and “shocked” by the notification and said he and his family have since been “through hell and back”.
He also said that when gardai seized a BMW X5 from him at Donaghmede Shopping Centre, they had “made a Holy show” of him in front of the community where he worked and volunteered.
Bonney told gardai the BMW X5 was his fathers but that he had it.
The court heard at earlier hearings that Bonney alleges his father was driving the vehicle south of Newbrook Avenue on February 5, 2016 – the day the prosecution alleges Bonney drove it to St Vincent’s GAA club and assisted the hit-team in escaping.
The accused is seen on CCTV at his home in Drumnigh Wood in Portmarnock that morning and the vehicle is picked up leaving the estate.
However, the court heard that he is not identifiable in any of the other CCTV footage pertaining to the movements of that vehicle that day.