A brother of Gerry “The Monk” Hutch was allegedly under Garda surveillance on the same day three AK-47 rifles were found in a car.
Gerry Hutch, dressed in a dark navy blazer, white shirt and brown trousers sat in the dock of the Special Criminal Court on day seven of his trial, as further CCTV evidence was shown. The 59-year-old denies murdering Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne, 34, in Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.
The non-jury trial heard further evidence about the movements of a Vauxhall Insignia driven by convicted IRA man Shane Rowan – which was subsequently discovered to contain the rifles used in the attack.
Read more: Gerry Hutch trial shown CCTV alleged to be of him and Jonathan Dowdall, 15 days after Regency attack
Garda Michelle Purcell led the court through a series of maps noting
locations across Dublin that form part of the prosecution’s case against Hutch, from Clontarf, North Dublin.
Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan asked to see some of the CCTV footage shown the previous day depicting the alleged movements of the Insignia and of a Toyota Yaris – alleged to have been driven by Patsy Hutch – the accused’s brother. The vehicles were captured on CCTV across a series of car parks around the Clarehall Shopping Centre in North Co Dublin on the evening of March 9, 2016.
Part of the footage contains a clip of the man alleged to be Patsy Hutch going into an Applewood petrol station and purchasing pastries – moments after the Yaris is captured on CCTV driving into its car park.
Garda Purcell told the court it has already been alleged Patsy Hutch was the driver of that car.
As the court was shown footage of the cars moving around car parks in North Dublin on March 9, Mr Grehan asked the witness if she was aware there was also a Garda surveillance operation going on there at the time – to which she said she was.
The observation was going on while the Yaris was observed on CCTV appearing to be followed by the grey Vauxhall Insignia – driven by Rowan – on March 9.
In another clip Rowan is seen walking towards the Insignia and getting into it – after what the court heard was a two-minute interval between him and the Yaris allegedly linked to Patsy Hutch. The defendant’s brother is not before the courts and is not charged with any criminal offence.
Later that night Rowan was pulled over in the Slane area of Co Meath and officers discovered the three Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition in the boot of the car.
Those weapons later underwent analysis from Garda ballistic experts who determined they were the same firearms used in the Regency attack.
Rowan was jailed for seven-and-a- half years for possession of assault rifles and ammunition in relation to the incident in 2016.
The court went through legal arguments linked to evidence from members of the Garda National Surveillance Unit. Mr Grehan argued before the three judges about whether the officers who are set to give evidence need to testify anonymously. The prosecution want their identities hidden.
The judges have not yet ruled on this argument and the NSU members were not present in the chamber yesterday.
The court could hear the officers’ testimony today subject to the ruling from the bench.
Also before the court are Paul Murphy, 59, of Cherry Avenue, Swords, North Dublin, and 50-year-old Jason Bonney, of Drimnagh Wood,
Portmarnock.
They deny participating in or contributing to activity that could facilitate the commission of a serious offence – namely the murder of Byrne – by a criminal organisation by providing access to individual motor vehicles on February 5, 2016.
The deceased’s former partner Kelly Quinn and his parents Sadie and James “Jaws” Byrne were in court yesterday. The trial before Ms Justice Tara Burns, Judges Sarah Berkeley and Grainne Malone continues.
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