Gerard Hutch has been found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at Dublin’s Regency Hotel by the Special Criminal Court. The court did, however, state in its lengthy judgment that it believed that there is a Hutch criminal organisation and that it was responsible for organising the attack in February 2016. Hutch had been accused of being one of two men who shot Mr Byrne during the attack but had denied the charge. The court relied heavily on evidence from former Sinn Féin Councillor Jonathan Dowdall who had testified that Hutch had collected key cards for a room in the hotel from Dowdall and his father on February 4th 2016. Dowdall also testified that Hutch admitted to him after the attack that it was him at the hotel. Two co-accused were convicted of lesser charges of facilitating the attack by making vehicles available to a criminal organisation.
