Two men are accused of helping the hit team that killed David Byrne get to and escape from the Regency Hotel.
It is alleged that Paul Murphy (61) of Cherry Avenue in Swords Co Dublin, and Jason Bonney (50) of Drimnagh Wood Portmarnock helped the gang that carried out the murder of David Byrne get to and escape from the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016 - in vehicles they were driving that day.
The extent of much of the evidence against both men was heard before a lengthy hearing of the joint Special Criminal Court trial with Gerry Hutch on Thursday.
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They have pleaded not guilty to the charge of participating in or contributing to activity that could facilitate the commission the murder of David Byrne by a criminal organisation by providing access to individual motor vehicles on that date.
The court heard extensive evidence of statements and interviews taken from both men by gardai on their whereabouts that day.
And taking to the stand in the afternoon, Detective Sergeant Brian Hanley outlined to the court details of the arrest of accused man Paul Murphy on May 30, 2016.
Mr Murphy was arrested by Det Gda Hanley on that date at a Travel Lodge in Swords Co Dublin - in connection with the murder of David Byrne on February 5, 2016.
He was taken to Ballymun Garda Station, where the detective reported to his superior his reasons for arresting Murphy.
He said he outlined that he believed Murphy was “involved in the transporting of individuals involved in this offence prior to and subsequent to the murder.”
He had in in possession, he said, a laptop which contained CCTV footage which indicated that he believed Murphy was in possession of a gold-green Toyota Avensis taxi with a 07 registration on the date of the murder.
The footage, he said, showed what he believed to be the taxi arriving at the entrance to a gated car park at Buckingham Village in Dublin at 10:54 am on the morning of February 5, 2016 - and he alleged it was driven by Murphy.
The footage also shows this vehicle at 12:02, 12:10 and 12:39 in the Buckingham Street area he said - along with a Black BMW X5, alleged to be connected to co-accused Jason Bonney - which arrived at 12:16pm.
Further CCTV footage, he said, showed both vehicles departing the Buckingham Village entrance at 12:56 pm - in the company of a silver Ford Transit vehicle.
At 1:15pm he said footage from a Maxol Service station captured a person believed to be Paul Murphy entering the premises, making a purchase, and subsequently leaving in the avensis taxi.
Six minutes later it parked up outside the Beachcomber Public House in Killester - and then at 1:41, he said it moved off and joined a “convoy” which included the black BMW X5, believed to be driven by Jason Bonney.
Also travelling in this convoy he said was a Skoda taxi - belonging to a “member of the Hutch family.”
All three vehicles are captured on CCTV, he said, making their way to St Vincent’s GAA grounds where they remained until a number of individuals are seen making their way through a nearby laneway.
The Garda told the court it is believed these persons had just been involved in the murder of David Byrne in the Regency Hotel, and it is believed that at this moment they “made their escape” into the grounds of St Vincents GAA - where the vehicles alleged to be driven by Bonney and Murphy were waiting.
The Detective Garda also outlined to his Sergeant that as well as the footage, he had in his possession a roll of till receipts from Mr Murphy’s taxi journeys that “did not correlate” with the account he had previously given gardai of his movements that day.
A swipe card from Buckingham Village was also recovered from the taxi which had been seized from Paul Murphy, the garda said.
It had one sequential number away from a separate swipe card that was found after gardai searched the home of Patsy Hutch in Champions Avenue in Dublin’s inner city - the court heard.
Earlier in the day the court had heard evidence from Mr Murphy’s statements to gardai in which he alleged he went to the Buckingham Street area that morning to meet with Eddie Hutch - a since deceased brother of co-accused man Gerry Hutch.
But Mr Murphy said when he arrived Eddie ‘Neddie’ Hutch was not there - and instead he met with Patsy Hutch - another brother of ‘The Monk.’
Murphy had alleged to gardai that he was to meet with Eddie Hutch to borrow money from him - and said if someone wanted to borrow money, they could do so through the Hutches.
Murphy told gardai he was there to meet with Eddie Hutch after it was put to him in an interview that phone records obtained by officers showed that he had made a phone call to him on that day - February 5, 2016.
And in his evidence to the court, Det Sgt Hanley said he also brought the evidence before Superintendent Finbar Murphy - so that Murphy could be detained for further questioning - and so that DNA could be obtained by way of fingerprint testing, palm prints - and so that photographs of him could be taken.
The DNA samples were required in order to “prove or disprove his involvement,” he said.
The court heard from Det Sgt Hanley that “extensive” CCTV footage was put to Mr Murphy in order to get his responses to his movements on that day.
Detective Garda Rober Comerford brought the court through a statement he took from Murphy on May 31, in which he further explained his movements on that day.
Murphy said he had gone into the Maxol garage to get a turkey and ham sandwich and a coffee and that he parked at Beachcomber to eat it and read the paper - before leaving at 2pm.
In a statement then taken from Detective Garda Bobby Comerford, Murphy would confirm his identity in much of the CCTV footage obtained by gardai.
He was shown the footage of the car at Beachcomber on the Howth Road and accepted it was his car.
In a statement then taken from Detective Garda Malachy Dunne on May 31, Murphy confirmed his phone call with Eddie Hutch’s number - and said he was looking for money - and if you were “stuck for a few bob” they Hutches would lend you money.
Giving an example he said if he wanted E1200 then he would pay monthly or week by week.
He said if he wasn’t borrowing money from Eddie Hutch then he could also contact other Hutch family members - he said including Jonathan Hutch or Patsy Hutch occasionally.
The finding of a swipe card in his vehicle was put to him, with gardai telling him it can be used to access Buckingham Village car park.
But Mr Murphy said he discovered it in the front passenger seat and had put it into an envelope - intending to hand it into a lost property office in Santry.
He was again shown various CCTV clips from February 5 - confirming it was him seen getting out of the avensis at the Maxol Service station at 1:14pm.
He was satisfied that it was his taxi in the clip and that it was him in the footage walking towards the shop.
He also further confirmed his identity in the footage at 1:22pm and his car at the Beachcomber pub after that - and again at 1:41pm.
In a subsequent interview Mr Murphy said he did use the key card he said he found in the taxi to enter the Buckingham Village area to meet with Eddie Hutch - instead meeting Patsy on February 5, 2016 - a meeting he said was over lending money.
He also identified himself in further CCTV footage coming out of Buckingham and onto Bellow Street.
The court also heard evidence about a meeting with the other co-accused man Jason Bonney with gardai at his home in Drimnagh Wood, Portmarnock on February 21 2016.
Detective Garda Alan Crummy said Mr Bonney did not agree to give a statement, but that he invited him into his kitchen and he had a conversation with him which he took a memo of in his presence.
He said he was investigating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel and wanted to know of his movements on the day in question.
Mr Bonney said he couldn’t recall the day fully but could remember hearing about the Regency attack on the radio.
He owned a Black BMW X5 but said he usually only drives it for social occasions.
He said he was helping to renovate a house in the Donaghmede area with a number of lads on February 5, 2016 - and he believed he was there when he heard about the Regency attack.
He said he had been involved in boxing all his life - and when asked if he knew the Kinahans and the Hutches he said:
“Just for the record I would have been friends with the Hutches and the Finnegans.”
He also said he “never met Daniel Kinahan,” and “I don’t think I spoke to any of them that day.”
Asked if he had any information that could be of any assistance to the investigation, he said “no.”
Mr Bonney’s BMW X5 had been seized the previous day, the court heard.
Earlier in the day the court heard a detailed reading of Paul Murphy’s first statement to gardai - in which he outlined his movements that day.
Det Garda Crummey said he met with Mr Murphy on February 22, 2016 at his home in Swords, where he said he took a statement from him.
Murphy said he had been living at the home with his wife for 15 years, and was a taxi driver for the past 20 years - first with Exchequer Taxis in Finglas before he opened his own place, but that “didn’t take off.”
He said he then rented a plate off Paul Brady, who he had previously rented a plate off in the past, he said.
The plate - numbered 20042, he said he had ever since - and was attached to a gold-green Toyota Avensis.
Mr Murphy said that the vehicle was “seized off me the other night” by gardai.
For the past three years he said he’d been working with Exchequer Taxis opposite the Ilac Centre in Dublin, and that he’d rented a radio off them.
Murphy said he normally worked the north side of the city, and said that he remembered that on February 5, 2016, he went to work at around 10, or half 10 in the morning and “mooched around town.”
He said he recalled having seven or eight jobs that day, which he said were all small jobs around Sherriff Street and back.
He said he couldn’t remember specific jobs but it was more than likely that there were receipts from them still in the car.
The receipts he said would show the date, time and cost as well as how long a journey was, and he said, were printed off automatically - with most people not taking them.
Mr Murphy said he could remember that he got a job in the Gardiner Street area on February 5, going to Fairview with a man and a woman who had no luggage at around 1pm,
He also said he went via Amiens Street towards the North Strand on a 10 minute journey that cost seven euro and 20 cent - and that the man didn’t leave a tip.
Murphy said he then pulled into a garage, he thought maybe a Maxol, at 10 minutes or 20 minutes past one and got a coffee and a ham sandwich.
He ate the sandwich outside the Beachcomber pub, he said, which he parked up at and pointed in the direction of town.
He then read the paper, he said.
After that he said he couldn’t remember if he fuelled up that day, but he next went via Fairview, turning right into Ballybough and right up the North Circular Road, he said.
Mr Murphy said he heard about the “shooting at the Regency” he thought on the three o’clock news when he was on the North Circular Road.
He then said he “went up nosing” and the traffic was “mental” so he drove all the way down the bus lane.
At the Regency he said he could see “people all over the place” and ambulances and police.
He said he went up the bus lane and went home - and told gardai that he doesn’t have any involvement in the Regency attack.
Mr Murphy said he knew ‘Neddie’ Eddie Hutch - a since murdered brother of the accused Gerry Hutch.
He said he knew Eddie Hutch to have a chat to and “say hello” but he “wouldn’t have been a friend.”
He said he knew Eddie Hutch through the taxi business.
In relation to the 07 Avensis taxi, he said he was the “only person driving it” on February 5, 2016.
“I am the only one who drives the car,” he said, adding that his wife is down as a domestic driver on it and Paul Brady is also covered to drive it.
He said he took the car into the garage on February 8 for an oil change and had to get the gear box replaced.
Then on March 3, Garda Crummey said he had cause to meet with Mr Murphy again this time at the Croke Park Hotel in Dublin.
On that date, the court heard Murphy made an additional statement - and was cautioned and was told he was not obliged to say anything.
In that statement Mr Murphy said that he wanted to say “I think my Avensis taxi could have been cloned.”
He said the reason he was saying that is he had two fines - one for speeding and one for littering - adding “I never litter.”
He said he was “not inclined to speed” but said it was “possible it could’ve been me but I don’t think so.”
He said he hadn’t paid the fines and had intended to take the matters to court.
Asked if he had any information in relation to the shooting of David Byrne in the Regency he said “no is the answer.”
The Garda again met with Murphy at the same place on March 9 and he was cautioned, and told he had the right to have a solicitor present.
He was shown a photocopy of a receipt from his taxi dated February 5, 2016 - and there were 11 fares in total that started at 10:42am and finished at 4:22pm.
Mr Murphy said he couldn’t recall all of the journeys he had taken that day.
The Garda then asked Murphy about two phones which were found in the seized car - one a Nokia 8850 which Mr Murphy said he purchased from China on the internet and he thought he used only once.
The other phone - a “little one like a calculator” he bought from an Applewood garage in Swords.
He said that phone was “sh*te” and he wouldn’t have used it for more than a day or so.
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