Gerard Hutch pleads not guilty to Dublin Regency Hotel murder
- Published
Gerard Hutch, 59, was arraigned at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin when the trial opened
A man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne in Dublin during a boxing weigh-in.
Gerard Hutch, 59, was arraigned at the Special Criminal Court when the trial opened on Tuesday.
Mr Byrne, 33, was shot dead at the Regency Airport Hotel in February 2016.
The court was told the murder was carried out execution-style by an organised and resourced group as part of the Hutch-Kinahan gang feud, which has left 18 people dead.
On Monday, ex-Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall was jailed for four years after admitting to facilitating the murder.
Dowdall has agreed to take part in the Irish witness protection programme in order to give evidence in the trial of Mr Hutch.
His father, Patrick Dowdall, also pleaded guilty to facilitating Mr Byrne's murder and sentenced to two years in prison.
Jonathan Dowdall is expected to join the Republic of Ireland's witness protection programme after completing his sentence.
Kinahan-linked boxing event
The trial before a three-judge non-jury court heard the prosecution describe the murder as "in essence performative and targeted".
The court was told a number of people using disguises were involved - a man wearing a wig and dressed as a woman, a man with a flat cap and three men dressed as armed gardai (Irish police).
The court heard Mr Byrne was shot six times including in the head, face, abdomen and thighs.
David Byrne died after being shot in the 2016 gun attack at the Regency Airport Hotel
The prosecution said Patrick Dowdall rented a room used by the killers and his son Jonathan later handed the key to Mr Hutch.
A Kinahan-linked company had a role in the boxing promotion, the court heard.
The court was also told that after the murder the Sunday World published photographs of the man dressed as a woman and the man in the flat cap - Kevin Murray, from Strabane, who has since died of natural causes.
The prosecution said Mr Hutch then sought an urgent meeting with Jonathan Dowdall.
They added Mr Hutch admitted to Dowdall that he was one of the people disguised as a tactical Garda officer.
The prosecution said the accused asked Jonathan Dowdall to organise a meeting with republicans because he feared an escalation.
'Like little bombs'
President of the Boxing Union of Ireland Mel Christle told the trial he was conducting the weigh-ins when he saw two men pass by him.
He described one as being a man in his 20s, disguised as a woman, and another as a stocky individual wearing a country cap.
Mr Christle told the court he then heard about eight shots being fired.
The former boxer, who is also a barrister, said he then rushed outside the venue and heard more shots "like little bombs" being fired.
When he went back indoors Mr Christle said he noticed two injured men and general panic in the venue.
He told the court he did not know the identities of those who had been shot.
Mr Christle said it was clear some of those present at the weigh-in were on alert and said one person appeared to have a knife hidden in his clothing.
He said he was shocked by what happened and immediately cancelled the fights scheduled for the following night.
Under cross examination, he said the Regency Airport Hotel venue was organised by Queensbury, a company linked to the boxing promoter Frank Warren.
He told the court it was his role to supervise the event and to make sure the medical room, dressing rooms and the ambulance service were in order as the venue had not been used before.