Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch wants State witness Jonathan Dowdall in court so he can “see the whites of his eyes” when he gives evidence tomorrow.
A massive security operation will be mounted at the Special Criminal Court where the ex-Sinn Fein councillor is due to testify in the Regency murder trial.
Sources said Hutch has been telling inmates he can’t wait to eyeball Dowdall across the courtroom.
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Gerry Hutch, 59, from the Paddocks in Clontarf, North Dublin, denies the murder of Kinahan gangster David Byrne, who was shot dead at the Regency Hotel during a boxing weigh-in on February 5, 2016.
His defence team will be allowed to cross-examine Dowdall after he gives his evidence. Before he takes the stand, a detective will give evidence that his admittance into the witness protection programme is “separate and distinct and not tied in to his performance in the witness box”.
Dowdall was due to stand trial charged with the same offence but in October he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of facilitating the murder and is serving a four-year sentence.
A source told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “Hutch was overheard telling his legal team he wanted to literally look him in the eye, to see the whites of his eyes.
“Huge safety measures will have to be put in place if he [Dowdall] is to be brought to court every day.”
Dowdall, who is serving a four-year sentence in isolation at Limerick prison, will be brought to the Criminal Courts of justice under armed escort.
On Friday, the court gave the OK for Dowdall to attend despite the status of his Witness Protection Programme application remaining unknown.
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