Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch hadn’t a clue that his friend Jonathan Dowdall would become a state witness and testify against him until 10 days ago.
The pair had been sharing their own segregated wing at Wheatfield prison away from rival Kinahan gang members who had threatened to kill them.
A prison source said: ”They were the best of buddies for the last year since the Monk was arrested and brought home from Spain.
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“Jonathan and his father Patrick were detained with Gerry and a few other Hutch gang members on their own wing. There were around eight of them and they mixed and exercised together.
“They were all model prisoners and caused no problems. Gerry and Jonathan were always together and the Monk had no idea what was coming.”
But it is understood early last week the former Sinn Fein councillor, 44, and his father Patrick, 65, were removed from the prison in a major security operation.
The source added: ”They were taken out around ten days ago and put into protective Garda custody. They did their own deal and the Monk hadn’t a clue.
“The Gardai dropped the murder charge against Jonathan and he admitted with his dad to the lesser offence of helping a criminal gang commit a murder.
“They and their family were moved out of the country straight away and flown back in for the start of the initial trial in the Special Criminal Court last Monday which was then adjourned.
“Gerry Hutch rarely shows emotion but he was angry when the father and son left their wing - he knew somethings serious was up”.
The Dowdalls are due to be sentenced by the three-judge court in a fortnight.
The two last big name informers in the public eye, Charlie Bowden and Russell Warren, testified against the Gilligan gang for the Veronica Guerin murder trial.
They were both convicted of drug offences and not charged with her murder even though Bowden had supplied the gun used to kill her.
They were both detained in a four-cell special underground unit in Arbour Hill prison while they served their sentence.
Once they did their time they were both flown out of the country with new identifications to live a new life abroad.
The Government does deals with various English speaking countries for protective witnesses and visa Versa.
Jonathan Dowdall and his family will be given similar treatment once he has done his time.
The prison source added: “ They are gone from prison for the moment and it is now up to the courts and the Gardai what happens next.”
The Witness Protection Programme is run by the Department of Justice and there are around 20 to 30 people on it.
The Hutches and the Dowdalls had been lifelong friends and associates.
Gerry Hutch’s trial where he stands accused of murdering David Byrne at the Regency Hotel six years ago, is due to resume in a week.
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