The permission to deploy a garda bugging device that recorded conversations between Regency Hotel murder accused Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch and ex Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall was sought under "a culture of secrecy" and with "an unintentional lack of candour", defence lawyers have told the Special Criminal Court.
Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC also submitted to the non-jury court that "on its face" there had been an illegal operation of the Criminal Justice Surveillance Act 2009 in this case and that the prosecution was seeking to "wheel the evidence in" which "extended beyond the territorial boundaries" and say "none of that matters".
Mr Grehan completed his submissions today to the three-judge court on why the secret audio recording, which the State says is "part of the core" of their case, is inadmissible.
