Paul Murphy, a long-time friend of the Hutch family, has been found guilty of acting as a getaway driver during the Regency Hotel attack in 2016, in which Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne was murdered. The non-jury court agreed with the prosecution’s argument that Murphy’s Toyota Avensis taxi was part of a convoy of six cars involved in the attack. The Special Criminal Court also declared that it believes in the existence of the Hutch Criminal Organisation and that Murphy was aware of it, having made his taxi available to the group. Murphy has been deemed guilty of contributing to or participating in Mr Byrne’s murder by providing access to motor vehicles.
Two other accused individuals are also facing charges relating to Mr Byrne’s murder: Jason Bonney is charged with providing access to motor vehicles on the same day, while Gerard Hutch, who denies the murder accusation, is accused of being the main perpetrator during the boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel. Ms Justice Tara Burns is yet to deliver verdicts in relation to these two individuals.
The Regency Hotel attack was a significant event in the ongoing gang war between the Kinahan and Hutch families, which erupted in Dublin in late 2015. The attack provoked a series of reprisals and counter-reprisals in the ensuing years, leading to a sharp increase in gun violence and high-profile murders in the Irish capital. The ongoing violence has resulted in heightened tensions and an increased police presence in Dublin.
The trial of Murphy, Bonney and Hutch is one of a number of criminal cases currently being heard in Ireland for offences relating to the feud between the criminal gangs. Other cases include murder charges for the killing of Michael Keogh in May 2017 and the killing of Eddie Hutch Snr, Gerard Hutch’s brother, in February 2016. The ongoing investigations and trials are an indication of the high level of criminal activity and violence that continues to exist within Dublin’s organised crime underworld.
