CCTV footage of the moment David Byrne was shot dead in the Regency Hotel has been shown at the trial of Gerry Hutch this afternoon.
The footage, which shows three men in tactical gear coming back in through the front entrance of the hotel, shows one of the gunmen firing at Byrne, 34, who falls at the reception desk.
The two other men are then seen - and ‘Tactical 3’ is observed going into the bar area, while ‘Tactical 2’ moves over towards Mr Byrne and eventually fires more shots at him after jumping down from off the reception desk.
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Footage also showed one of the tactical team going into the bar area of the hotel as a large crowd of people are seen fleeing in various directions.
The footage was shown to the packed courtroom as Mr Hutch, 59, watched on this afternoon.
Hutch, wearing a navy blazer and blue shirt stands accused of the murder of David Byrne at Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.
The footage was shown to the three-judge court this afternoon following earlier evidence from two press photographers, two members of An Garda Siochana and Regency Hotel Director James McGettigan.
One of the videos depicted a gunman dressed in tactical gear moving through a corridor of the Regency Hotel - holding a rifle in one hand - and a handgun in the other.
Later footage this afternoon showed one of the gunmen dressed in tactical gear picking up a handgun dropped by the gunman in front, as they enter the Regency Hotel while a number of people run out the door.
Garda Michelle Purcell of the Technical Support Unit guided the courtroom through the footage, beginning with a clip of the man with the flat cap and the man in the wig making their way up to the laundry room of the Regency Hotel at 2.28pm on February 5.
Footage shows the pair arm-in-arm, as the man with the wig is observed constantly on the phone, the court heard.
Various clips showed both men making their way through numerous parts of the hotel - from the ballroom entrance to the ground floor corridor and into the bar area at the Regency Suite.
Further footage showed a man running out of the building and looking over his shoulder as he made his way out into the car park.
At around the same time the man in the wig and the man in the Flat Cap were making their way in that direction.
Subsequent footage then showed the man in the wig and the man in the flat cap running back into the hotel through its laundry room and through to a corridor.
One of the three men who were dressed as gardai in tactical gear is seen approaching the same corridor from the opposite end - with the court again seeing and hearing that he was holding both a handgun and a rifle.
In total the footage shows that the men were in the hotel for around a six minute period.
Before more footage was shown evidence was given by former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, who attended the hearing via video link.
Dr Curtis outlined in detail how he first attended the scene on the evening of February 5, 2016, and was shown the body of David Byrne in behind a tent.
He also outlined in detail the post-mortem examination that took place the following day - and told of each of the six gunshot wounds the victim suffered and the devastating impact of each.
He concluded that Mr Byrne died from six gunshot wounds and that the injuries he sustained would have been “rapidly, if not instantaneously fatal.”
Earlier today James McGettigan, whose family the court heard owned the Regency Hotel, was called to the witness stand.
Mr McGettigan, who was then the Director of the Regency Hotel told how he was standing at the bar counter when three men in masks and tactical gear came in and “rushed” past.
Mr McGettigan said the men “looked like Emergency Response” and that they told people in the bar area to get on the ground.
He said he stood by one of the men with guns and “I expected him to identify himself as a guard.
“Everyone was on the ground and there was a bit of pandemonium about the place,” he said.
The men spoke with a “flat Dublin accent” he said and the gunman he spoke to was completely covered up but “after a period of time he didn’t give the impression that he was a guard.
The gunman in his view was “quite young,” he thought “maybe in his early 20s” and he “seemed quite slight in his build.”
Mr McGettigan said he could then hear three shots and looking through a window at the bar he could see shots being fired and persons falling around the reception area.
At that stage he said the gunman who had stood by him had disappeared and he was left alone with those left in the bar.
He said at that stage he “probably naively” “made a bit of a dash for a room.”
Mr McGettigan said he locked the door behind himself, and at one pointed he heard somebody banging on it, but he kept it closed.
He then rang 999 but said the first time he tried he was put on hold.
He subsequently tried a second and a third time before he said he managed to get through.
Following his evidence Detective Garda Patrick Fagan of Crumlin Garda Station gave evidence.
He told how he met with Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis at the scene and formally identified the body of David Byrne.
The next to take the stand was Sergeant Ronan McMorrow who said he attended the area and his attention was drawn to an injured man.
The man appeared to have been shot in the abdomen - and Sergeant McMorrow recognised him as being Sean McGovern.
He said another man was also present, and he told Sergeant McMorrow to “f*ck off.”
Neither man wanted to speak to him, he said.
Their evidence came after press photographer Colin O’Riordan gave evidence earlier today.
Appearing before Ms Justice Tara Burns, Judges Sarah Berkeley and Grainne Malone, Prosecuting Counsel Sean Gillane SC formally called upon Mr O’Riordan to give evidence.
Mr O’Riordan told the court that he had been asked by his employer to attend a boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel with Irish Independent reporter Robin Schiller on February 5, 2016.
He did not bring his camera equipment and instead intended to take discreet photographs of persons of interest with his iPhone.
Mr O’Riordan told the court that he met with Mr Schiller and the pair made their way inside the hotel and into the weigh-in event that was taking place.
The photographer said he was “discreetly” taking pictures when he was told by Mr Schiller that he had “spotted Daniel Kinahan.”
Mr O’Riordan stated that he went outside to the steps of the Regency when they then heard “a bang.”
“Robin said to me: that’s a gunshot,” Mr O’Riordan told the court.
The photographer said he then noticed a silver van outside
He heard a bang and “almost immediately two individuals dressed as gardai in ERU style appeared up the steps carrying AK-47s.”
He said initially the armed men “had the advantage of complete utter surprise and confusion” as they were dressed as gardai.
But he said as they entered the building, the thought occurred to him that “gardai do not use AK-47s.”
Mr O’Riordan told the court that he then took pictures of the men going into the hotel with his iPhone.
The court was later shown a booklet of these images.
Mr O’Riordan also told the court about the presence of a third gunman dressed in tactical gear and also armed with an AK-47 rifle - who he noticed was on the far side of the silver van.
That gunman fired a shot and was shouting at another man on the other side of the road telling him to “get the f*ck out of here,” Mr O’Riordan said.
He then told the court that he next heard gunshots coming from inside the hotel - in the foyer area.
He was able to see one of the gunmen standing on the reception desk with a gun and he was pointing at a man on the floor.
The man with the gun turned on the desk and jumped back down into the foyer area.
Mr O’Riordan said he then heard more shots, screams, shouts and moments later “two individuals exited the door.”
The two gunmen came out the doors right in front of him, and he said:
“I stood back because knowing what had gone on inside, I was in fear of my life.
“I put my hands up and said, guard , I don't know where I should be.”
The gunmen then went past him, he said, and made their way towards the silver van.
The court has also heard from photographer Ernie Leslie who told how he photographed the man who would later be known as "Flat Cap" emerging from the hotel.
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