Gerry Hutch, who was recently acquitted of the 2016 Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne, is still under investigation by the Garda over allegations that he directed an organised crime gang. The investigation is also looking into whether Hutch was tipped off from inside the Garda about a European arrest warrant issued for him in 2021. Detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation have already arrested and interviewed Hutch. In addition, the Garda believes he could soon leave the jurisdiction. Former Garda superintendent John Murphy, who was convicted of possessing cannabis at his north Dublin home in 2021, was also questioned as part of the same investigation when he was taken from his prison cell in February to be interrogated. The Special Criminal Court found no evidence to incriminate him of the allegation he was one of the shooters on the day though it believed the Hutch faction was behind the attack.
David Byrne, a Kinahan cartel associate, was shot dead when a five-man gang burst into a boxing tournament weigh-in at the Regency Hotel, Whitehall, Dublin, looking to murder Daniel Kinahan. The State’s case against Hutch was that he was one of three gunmen in the “hit squad” who were dressed in mock Garda uniforms and armed with AK47s. However, the Special Criminal Court concluded a “reasonable possibility arises on the evidence” that the Regency attack “was planned by” Hutch’s brother by Patsy Hutch. It added the evidence could suggest “Gerard Hutch stepped in, as head of the family, to attempt to sort out the aftermath of the Regency, particularly as his own life was at risk”.
The Special Criminal Court said the key witness for the State in the case against Gerry Hutch, former Sinn Féin cllr Jonathan Dowdall, was not credible. Dowdall was described as a liar who had continued to tell lies while giving evidence against Mr Hutch during the trial. The court added the contention Mr Hutch was one of the gunmen was not credible, pointing to the fact he was in his 50s when the attack occurred. The CCTV images of the attack suggested the three gunmen in mock Garda uniforms moved with the agility and speed of much younger men in a “high velocity” attack.
The Garda inquiry into the Regency attack “remains live and is continuing”. The Garda had “made significant progress in tackling gangland crime in recent years” and would continue to enjoy the Government’s support in that regard. The investigation urged anyone with information to come forward.
In its judgment delivered by Ms Justice Burns, sitting with judges Sarah Berkeley and Gráinne Malone, Dowdall was described as a liar who had continued to tell lies while giving evidence against Mr Hutch during the trial. The court added the contention Mr Hutch was one of the gunmen was not credible, pointing to the fact he was in his 50s when the attack occurred. The CCTV images of the attack suggested the three gunmen in mock Garda uniforms moved with the agility and speed of much younger men in a “high velocity” attack.
