NEIGHBOURS FROM CELL...
Dowdall held in landing with killer of boxer
STATE witness Jonathan Dowdall is housed on the same prison landing as killer Logan Jackson, we can reveal.
The former Sinn Fein councillor is set to give evidence in the ongoing Special Criminal Court murder trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.
In the meantime, Dowdall is said to be on 23-hour lockdown in a tiny corridor landing in Limerick Prison — along with his father and murderer Jackson, who killed boxer Kevin Sheehy at a party in Limerick in 2019.
It is understood Dowdall has nothing but an exercise bike and a pull-down machine to keep him entertained — with both located right outside his cell on a small corridor.
Sources said Dowdall and his father Patrick, who are both serving sentences for facilitating the murder of David Byrne, have their meals delivered to their cell doors and are unable to mix with any of the prison population.
Instead, they are granted a small time for recreation and are allowed to use the exercise bike and a pulldown machine on the landing.
They cannot enter the prison yard or gym.
They are understood to be on a landing that typically houses no more than four inmates at a time — and share it with depraved killer Jackson — who has applied to be transferred to an English prison.
Recently, the mother of Irish boxing champion Sheehy, who was murdered by Jackson three years ago, urged the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to reverse her decision to approve the transfer of her son’s murderer to a UK prison.
Jail
Tracey Tully mounted a High Court action to try to quash the minister’s original decision to approve Jackson’s transfer just weeks after he was sentenced to life in prison.
The minister is currently reconsidering the matter.
Jackson is now housed with, but does not interact with, Dowdall — who is considered to be the most high profile prisoner the Irish Prison System has ever had to deal with due to security concerns.
The Special Criminal Court ordered Dowdall to present himself to Portlaoise after a two-week period last Monday — before he was then transferred to Limerick.
The former Sinn Fein councillor is understood to have presented himself to the Irish Prison Service, along with his father Patrick.
Patrick Dowdall was jailed for two years for his role in facilitating the murder of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne (34).
Dowdall’s trial already heard that he was being considered for the witness protection programme — and that following his sentence he would likely need to move abroad for his own safety.