The new life for Jonatan Dowdall will cost Irish taxpayers just €100,000 – and he’ll have to stand on his own feet after a few months, it has emerged.
A day after the bombshell news emerged that the former Sinn Fein councillor is to give evidence in the murder trial of Gerry ‘The Monk” Hutch, sources have confirmed to The Star/Mirror that it is unlikely the State will buy him a new home.
Instead, the sources – who have an in-depth knowledge of the Witness Security Programme that Dowdall (44) is being assessed for – revealed that it is more likely that the state will rent him a property for a few months.
Dowdall will have to give up his life and start again abroad after he dramatically agreed late last week to make a 50-page statement to gardai.
Mr Dowdall, a former member of Dublin City Council, was also orginally charged with the murder of Byrne (34) – but that charge against him was shelved on Monday.
He has now pleaded guilty along with his father Patrick Dowdall (65) to the lesser charge of facilitating the murder – after they admitted hiring a room at the hotel as part of the murder plot.
The men’s sentencing hearing at the no-jury Special Criminal Court on Monday heard that Jonathan Dowdall, who like his father has an address on Cabra Road in Dublin 7, had agreed to give what was described as very significant evidence in the Monk’s trial.
The court also heard he is being assessed for entry into the state’s secretive Witness Security Programme – which sees men and women who give evidence in high profile trials the chance handed lifetime protection, usually abroad.
It had been thought the scheme – in which Mr Dowdall and his immediate family will be given new identities and a new life abroad – could cost the State millions, but sources with knowledge of how the scheme works dismissed this last night.
They said they believed the Dowdall operation would cost the state €100,000 – or even less. And they also revealed that businessman Mr Dowdall would be expected to fend for himself financially after around three months.
One expert told The Star: “If it was me, I’m thinking I’d manage it for less than €100,000.
“He will be supplied with a similar standard of living as he has here. So probably a rented property covered for three months and moderate living expenses.
“He’d be expected to go get work. He won’t be paid and it is unlikely that a property would be purchased for him.”
And he added: “A cornerstone of the Witness Security Programme is that you don’t end up with a significantly higher standard of living.”
The source also revealed that gardai would not be involved in protecting Dowdall if and when he went overseas – but it would be the responsibility of cops in the host country.
He said: “We don’t really protect him if he goes to WSP and overseas We just have to pay the initial costs to relocate him, setting up an apartment, new documents, etc.
“Then he goes on living. Wherever he goes the arrangements are reciprocated, so there are no direct ongoing costs to Ireland.”
The source confirmed it was likely that Dowdall would go to another English speaking country – but he ruled out America.
“The USA has never taken overseas protected witnesses,” he said.
News of Dowdall’s decision to give evidence came during the first day of Mr Hutch’s trial on Monday.
A clean-shaven Hutch, dressed in a white shirt and tan trousers, sat quietly with headphones on in the dock of the Special Criminal Court as the building outside was surrounded by armed gardai.
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, for Hutch, told the non-jury court that his client has been in custody for over a year and that he was “anxious” to proceed with his trial.
But he said “matters developed” last week and they were served with “very significant evidence” which has now resulted in a “fundamental reappraisal of the defence strategy.”
Sean Gillane SC, on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions added that there had been "some developments" in the Regency hotel trial and that two of the accused (the Dowdalls) had taken a “certain course” and their sentencing had been adjourned.
Mr Gillane added that there had been "a further development" in the service of additional evidence to the defence and that it was proper "for the case to go back to next Monday".
The three judge court granted a delay of a week in which it will then be seen “where the parties are at.” The court acknowledged that additional time might be required - but for now the matter is due to return to court next Monday for trial.
Ms Justice Burns said the Special Criminal Court was "fairly fully booked" for court dates and if the trial went back it would be for a fairly significant time.
Mr Grehan said his team were very much aware of the court's calendar and that Mr Hutch was also in custody.
"I don't anticipate the trial to be in a position to start properly next week. The earliest we are talking about is two weeks from today," he said.
Ms Justice Burns, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone granted the request to adjourn the trial for a week. However the judges noted that the trial was unlikely to start next Monday.
Mr Hutch was remanded in custody until next Monday. Mr Hutch, last of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, is charged with the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9, on February 5, 2016.
Mr Hutch's two co-accused - Paul Murphy (59), of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Jason Bonney (50), of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13 are both 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, to wit the murder of David Byrne, by providing access to individual motor vehicles to that criminal organisation or its members, within the State on February 5, 2016.
Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne (34), from Crumlin, was shot dead at the hotel on the Swords Road in Dublin in February 2016 after five men, three disguised as armed gardaí, stormed the building, which was hosting a boxing weigh-in at the time.
On September 29 2021, Hutch appeared before an out-of-hours sitting of the non-jury Special Criminal Court charged with the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9, on February 5, 2016.
Hutch was extradited from Spain after his final appeal against extradition to Ireland was rejected by a Spanish Appeals Court on September 14.
He has remained in custody in Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison since he was flown back to Ireland after being arrested at a restaurant in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol in Spain on August 12, 2021 by the Guardia Civil.
The arrest came after a European Arrest Warrant was issued for Hutch in April 2021.
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