The trial of Gerry Hutch has been shown CCTV footage alleged to be of him with Jonathan Dowdall in a petrol station – 15 days after the Regency attack.
The prosecution said the footage, shown yesterday afternoon, depicts the pair at a BP petrol station on the Newry Road in Armagh on the morning of February 20, 2016. In the footage Dowdall and Hutch are allegedly seen getting out of a jeep that had earlier been captured on CCTV departing the former Sinn Fein councillor’s home on the Navan Road in Dublin.
Footage from inside the shop in the petrol station showed both men coming inside and going over to a coffee machine at around 9.12am. The man alleged to be Hutch is seen in a brown coat, wearing jeans and a hat, while Dowdall is seen in a black coat.
Read more: Up to 12 bullets fired at Regency Hotel on day David Byrne was shot dead, Gerry Hutch's trial hears
Prosecuting Counsel Sean Gillane told the court that Dowdall appears to be “engaged with someone at the checkout,” while Hutch is allegedly waiting at the coffee machine. The man alleged to be Hutch can be seen pouring a jug into a cup and is then seen grabbing a newspaper – which he gives to Dowdall at the checkout counter. Dowdall then gives him back the paper and he is seen walking out the front door.
The footage allegedly depicts Dowdall getting into the passenger side of the vehicle, while Hutch allegedly enters the driver’s side. The court was then shown CCTV footage of later that evening at the Quays Shopping centre car park in Newry.
Camera footage shows a man walking towards the doors of the shopping centre and waiting around. Another camera angle then shows another male joining him, wearing what the Garda described as blue jeans, a brown jacket, and he is seen carrying a newspaper.
A subsequent camera angle shows a car outside the premises, identified as a Land Cruiser. Later in the day further footage was shown again claiming to be of Dowdall and Hutch, this time meeting at the car park of Kealys pub in North Dublin on the afternoon of March 7, 2016.
The man alleged by the prosecution to be Hutch is seen wearing a hat, a brown coat and jeans, and is seen sitting and waiting for a period of 10 minutes before Dowdall arrives in a jeep. “Hutch” is then seen walking over to the jeep, which departs the area and heads for Northern Ireland.
CCTV was then shown of the man again alleged to be Hutch at the reception of a Belfast hotel collecting what appeared to be a wallet. He’s then seen departing the hotel and getting back into the Land Cruiser which the prosecution alleges is later captured returning to Dowdall’s home in Dublin later that night.
The footage was shown after earlier in the day the court was shown CCTV which allegedly depicted Hutch’s brother Patsy. The prosecution claims the footage shows convicted IRA man Shane Rowan driving a grey Vauxhall Insignia on March 9, 2016.
The footage shows the Insignia making its way to Clarehall Shopping centre and down to a series of car parks in North Dublin, at one stage allegedly following a Toyota Yaris on the afternoon of March 9. In one clip the court was shown a person getting out of the Yaris and going into a shop, with the prosecution stating that it will be alleged that this person was Patrick Hutch Senior.
In the footage the person is seen going into a shop at an Applegreen garage in Dublin holding two coffee cups and purchasing pastries. Rowan, who was driving the Insignia, was later caught that evening with three AK-47 type rifles allegedly in the boot of that car in the Slane area of Co Meath.
A detective garda previously gave evidence that following microscopic examination of test cartridges fired from these weapons, he concluded that the guns were used to discharge 12 cartridge cases found at the scene of the Regency shooting.
David Byrne was shot dead in the reception area of Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016 and the prosecution alleges that Gerry Hutch was “one of the team” involved in the incident.
Giving evidence before the court this morning, Garda Michelle Purcell brought the courtroom through a series of CCTV clips showing the movements of the Vauxhall Insignia – alleged to have been driven by Rowan – and a Yaris and Toyota Avensis.
First the court was shown the Insignia on the Donegal Road at a filling station at 11.37am on March 9, 2016.
The driver pulls up to the petrol station and is seen getting out. Prosecuting Counsel Sean Gillane told the court that it is the State’s case that that man is Shane Rowan.
The court was then shown footage of the alleged same vehicle arriving by the Burnell Square apartments on the N32 near Clarehall shopping centre in Dublin at 3.29pm that afternoon. CCTV footage shows the man alleged to be Shane Rowan getting out of the vehicle at the car park for an Eddie Rockets restaurant at the Clarehall Shopping centre.
Footage at 3.32pm shows the man going into the shopping centre, with Sean Gillane SC again telling the court that it is the prosecution’s case that this man is Rowan. At 3.54pm Rowan is allegedly seen on CCTV returning to the Vauxhall Insignia.
At 4.45pm a Toyota Yaris is captured on CCTV and the Insignia allegedly follows it down the Newtown Road and onto Newtown park. Various clips captured the vehicles before one was shown of a man alleged to be getting out of the Yaris.
The man is seen going into an Applegreen on the Malahide Road, with Mr Gillane telling the court that it is alleged that this man is Patrick Hutch Sr.
The trial continues.
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