The Regency Hotel murder trial has been adjourned until next week.
Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch was due to stand trial this afternoon for the murder of David Byrne but the judges agreed to push it back in light of some developments in the case.
Jonathan Dowdall was due to stand trial with Gerry Hutch for the murder of David Byrne, who was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in 2016, but the former Sinn Féin councillor pleaded guilty last week to a charge of facilitating what happened by making a room at the hotel available to a criminal organisation.
The murder charge against him was formally dropped today.
At his sentence hearing this morning, the court heard he has implicated others in relation to what happened and is willing to testify at Mr Hutch’s upcoming trial.
He and his family have been taken into protective custody.
His father, Patrick Dowdall, sat next to him in the dock after pleading guilty to the same offence. Both will be sentenced later this month.
Mr Hutch’s trial was due to open this afternoon but in light of developments in the case, the judges agreed to adjourn it.
His barrister, Brendan Grehan SC, said it had resulted in a “fundamental reappraisal of the defence strategy” and a substantial amount of further material is now needed.
Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s murder trial adjourned until next week to allow for disclosure of additional evidence. Mr Hutch was in court for the brief hearing. Some developments have resulted in a “fundamental reappraisal” of the defence strategy, according to his barrister.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) October 3, 2022
Reporting by Frank Greaney
