In building their case against Gerry Hutch, gardai obtained hours of CCTV and tracked him across multiple locations, from his home at the Paddocks, Clontarf, to Strabane, Killygordon, Co Donegal, The Quays Shopping Centre in Newry and at a BP garage on the Newry Road.
But much of the case against ‘The Monk’ lies largely in the capital. Here are seven of those key locations and their significance:
Ellenfield Park, Whitehall, Dublin
If the three judges of the Special Criminal Court accept that State witness Jonathan Dowdall is telling the truth, then this alleged encounter in Ellenfield Park is the most significant piece of evidence against The Monk.
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Facing the prospect of a murder charge himself, Dowdall was interviewed by gardai in May 2022 and alleged that he had met Hutch in this park, two or three days after the Regency Hotel shooting, and that the accused confessed to the crime.
Dowdall claims Hutch met him in the park before midday and asked him could he “contact people in the North,” before he then allegedly said it was “them at the hotel”.
Dowdall told cops: “He said it was him and (James) ‘Mago’ Gately. He wasn’t himself. I think he knew that s**t was hitting the fan. He was upset over killing that lad David Byrne.”
But Dowdall’s timeline on this alleged encounter changed even during the trial and was contradicted by phone records.
When this was put to the witness on the stand during the trial he conceded it was a long time ago and he perhaps might not fully remember what time it was.
Circle K, Richmond Road, Dublin
Dowdall alleges he and his father Patrick met with Hutch at the forecourt of the Circle K petrol station on the Richmond Road and handed him a key for a room at the Regency Hotel on February 4, 2016 – the day before the murder.
This same room was used by Kevin ‘Flat Cap’ Murray, who was one of the gunmen involved in the murder and was picked up on CCTV entering the hotel that night.
The Dowdalls had paid for the room after Jonathan said Patsy Hutch, a brother of the accused, had told his father to book the room.
But again there are questions about Dowdall’s narrative here - with the trial hearing that he first told gardai he met with The Monk at Patsy’s home in Champions Avenue and exchanged hotel room keys with him there.
Then he said he gave it to the ‘Hutches’ at Richmond Road, before then saying it was Gerry Hutch that he met at Richmond Road.
Analysis showed Patrick Dowdall’s phone pinged off the Richmond Builders mast on February 4, indicating he could have been in the area at the time.
270 Navan Road, Dublin
This is the home of Dowdall, who is now in prison serving a four-year sentence for his admitted role in facilitating the murder of David Byrne.
The house was raided on March 9, 2016, as gardai sought firearms and explosives and suspected Dowdall was in the IRA.
Cops instead found a USB key which ended up containing a shocking video of Dowdall torturing Alexander Hurley.
The Hutch trial heard from an NSU officer who told the court how he observed The Monk drive out of Dowdall’s driveway on a motorbike on the evening of Friday, February 12, 2016 – one week after the Regency shooting.
The home remained under surveillance and again Hutch was spotted leaving Dowdall’s home – this time in his company, in his 161D Land Cruiser on March 7, 2016.
Later that day Hutch and Dowdall were observed meeting IRA man Shane Rowan at his home in Killygordon, Co Donegal.
Two days later Rowan was caught in Slane, Co Meath, with the AK-47 rifles that were used in the Regency Hotel attack.
Regency Hotel, Swords Road, Dublin
The Regency itself is a major focus for this investigation given it is where the murder took place. Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne, 34, was shot dead as he ran back into the foyer area at 2.32pm on February 5, 2016.
The State alleges that Gerry Hutch was one of the two gunmen dressed in tactical gear and disguised as gardai.
St Vincent's GAA Club, Marino, Co Dublin
CCTV picked up the hit team, including the gunmen, one of which it is alleged is Gerry Hutch, running through a laneway and to a fleet of cars in the GAA car park.
Two men – Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy are also on trial – accused of being two of the drivers who picked up the hit team.
Buckingham Village, Dublin
Buried within the 10-hour secretly recorded conversation between Jonathan Dowdall and Gerry Hutch are repeated references to “the village”.
CCTV obtained in the case shows the suspected “convoy” of vehicles used in the shooting entering through the front gates of Buckingham Village and later emerging with a silver Ford transit van – believed to have been carrying the hit-team.
In a search of Patsy Hutch’s home in Champions Avenue gardai came across an ACT swipe card for access to Buckingham Village.
A similar ACT card was later discovered inside co-accused man Paul Murphy’s taxi , but he denies aiding the hit-team in their escape that day.
Officers also discovered a log book for a 131D Ford van registered to ‘Dowdall Electrical’ in the bedroom of Patsy Hutch. Officers carried out a search of an address at Buckingham Village on March 22, 2016, and secured spreadsheets in relation to rent paid, a document in relation to swipe cards – and a box containing packages of ACT cards.
Dowdall told the court he was told the van used in the shooting was parked in the village and that CCTV had been gotten rid of in the area for that reason.
Malahide Industrial Estate, Woodies Car Park, Clarehall Shopping Centre
A huge part of this case focused on a massive garda surveillance operation that took place on March 9, 2016.
Dozens of members of the Garda National Surveillance Unit were secretly tracking the movements of IRA member Shane Rowan after he had met with Gerry Hutch and
Jonathan Dowdall at his home in Killygordon, Co Donegal – and after the pair went to a meeting in Strabane facilitated by him on March 7.
On March 9, 2016, officers followed Rowan from his home all the way down to the Clarehall Shopping Centre in North Co Dublin, where he emerged from his Vauxhall Insignia car and went in.
After spending time in the shop he went outside and met with a Toyota Yaris which was being driven by Patsy Hutch, a brother of The Monk.
CCTV evidence and NSU evidence was collated in the trial to show that Patsy and Rowan were observed sitting together in the Yaris at the Woodies car park in the Malahide Industrial Estate. Meanwhile, other individuals arrived and placed the AK47 rifles that were used in the Regency shooting, into the back of Rowan’s Insignia.
Rowan eventually returned to his vehicle and was subsequently followed, pulled over and arrested by gardai who then discovered the AK47 rifles in the boot.
The tapes of Hutch and Dowdall refer to the weapons as “yokes,” and the State alleges that Hutch is heard speaking about moving them just days before the transit happens at the
Malahide Industrial Estate.
Prosecuting Counsel Fiona Murphy contends the evidence shows that Gerry Hutch was “in control” and was the “man in charge” when the firearms were to be moved.
VERDICT
Next Monday three judges of the Special Criminal Court will finally deliver the long-awaited verdict in the trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.
Ms Justice Tara Burns, and Judges Grainne Malone and Sarah Berkeley can rule by majority verdict on whether Hutch is guilty or not guilty of the murder of David Byrne in Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.
The result of that verdict will either mean Hutch, who has been on remand in Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison since 2021, is handed a life sentence - or is allowed to walk free from the Criminal Courts of Justice in Parkgate Street.
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