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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Cate McCurry

Former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating Regency murder

Former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall has been sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder of David Byrne in Dublin.

His father, Patrick Dowdall, was sentenced to two years in prison for the same offence.

The pair appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday.

Mr Byrne, 34, was shot dead during a crowded boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 in one of the early attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud.

Mr Byrne's murder was part of the Hutch-Kinahan gang feud which has claimed at least 18 lives.

Dowdall and his father have agreed to join a witness protection programme and are expected to give evidence in the trial of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch, who is accused of Mr Byrne's murder.

The court previously heard that Patrick Dowdall booked a room at the hotel the day before the murder and drove his son to pay for it in cash before handing the key over to a member of an organised crime group.

The room was used by Patrick Murray, a dissident republican who was part of the hit team the following day and who has since died.
Hutch, 59, will stand trial on Tuesday for the murder of Mr Byrne.

Paul Murphy, 60, of Cabra Road, and Jason Bonney, 50, of Drumnigh Wood in Portmarnock, are also due to go on trial.

Murphy is charged with supplying logistical support to a six-man team suspected of carrying out the murder on February 15th 2016.

Bonney is charged with 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.

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