A witness has told of “mayhem” inside Dublin’s Regency Hotel when gunmen burst into the venue and fired shots.
Giving evidence before the murder trial of Gerry Hutch this afternoon, Mel Christle, former President of the Boxing Union of Ireland took the stand.
Mr Christle was in charge of the controlling body which supervised the arrangement of the boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in Dublin on February 5, 2016.
Read More : LIVE updates as The Monk in court and 'gangland court case of decade' begins
The former boxer, who the court heard held the position as President of the BUI for almost 30 years outlined what he witnessed when two gunmen - one dressed as a woman and another wearing a flat “country” cap entered the venue and fired shots.
Mr Christle told how he was involved in the weigh-in event, attended by over 200 people, when the gunmen entered the room and fired several shots.
Mr Christle said the room consisted of journalists, trainers, boxers, members of their families and some small children on the afternoon of February 5.
He was in the process of weighing-in boxer Gary Sweeney from Co Mayo when he said “I heard shots.”
Mr Christle told the court that he had heard “shouting” and “some screaming” and what he reckoned was in total “about eight” gunshots - though he could not say the number with certainty.
He went on to describe to the prosecuting counsel the scenes that then unfolded.
“There was mayhem,” he said, describing how some of the crowd gathered in the room “were diving to the floor."
Mr Christle described the two gunmen - telling the court that the person “in the lead was quite obviously a man dressed up as a woman with a blonde wig.”
He said there was “no doubt” that it was a man “even from the way he was running.”
Behind the gunman dressed as a woman he said was a “middle-aged gent with a cap on his head” who he described as being “stocky.”
Mr Christle said he first saw the men in front of him from about 10-15 metres away, and said they went on to run past him.
“The person I concentrated on was the person nearest me as they ran which was the man dressed as a woman and he was just holding as he passed a revolver close to his stomach,” Mr Christle told the court.
He described that gunman was “fit, slim” and was “I’d say in his very early 20s.”
The man was wearing a dress which appeared to be “knee-length” and “wasn’t a tall gentleman at all,” according to Mr Christle.
The other man was “obviously unfit” but was “moving at a good rate for such an unfit man,” he said.
The pair went past Mr Christle and through doors which the court heard led towards a main conference room inside the Regency Hotel.
Mr Christle again described the scene as “mayhem” and told how at least one of the fighters “I think Gary Sweeney” “ran out in his Donald Duck underpants” out the door.
Mr Christle said he saw a parent outside with a young child aged about four or five, and they were trying to console the child.
He said he could hear shooting outside and said he could hear “very loud gun shots” from another area inside the building that he said were “like bombs.”
“It wasn’t just an ordinary shot,” he said.
Mr Christle said that it was clear to him when he moved outside that there was still shooting occurring out there between people.
The shooting was “all done in a minute or two.”
He came across about a half dozen people outside - two of whom had been shot, one in the leg and another man who “seemed to have a gun shot to his stomach,” he said.
Mr Christie said he did not recognise these individuals.
He then made his way to the Reception area of the hotel, where he said there were a couple of women who were “quite agitated.”
Mr Christle said there was a body “slumped on the ground, almost resting his head up against the front of the reception,” at the base of the desk.
Describing what he saw, Mr Christle said the “corpse” was on the ground and “its face had been blown off."
He said there was “general panic” and he could see that there was a “general weakness” in people and staff “because they’d never witnessed anything like this before.”
He walked down the steps and out towards the Swords Road, where he said he came across a young man who was “very agitated” and another young man - describing them both as “tearful” and “shocked.”
Mr Christle said he could see the two men appeared to know who the deceased was - but they wouldn’t respond to him and they were “very, very nervous.”
He said one of the men had a large knife and he was “trying to conceal it up his sleeve.”
“It was quite clear that people outside were on alert,” he said.
Mr Christle told the court that he then got into a taxi and returned to the offices of the Boxing Union of Ireland.
He said that in the taxi he made the decision there and then to cancel the upcoming boxing event in the National Stadium, and another planned event in Roadstone near Kingswood in Dublin.
The trial continues.
READ NEXT :
RTE Monday Night Live viewers 'in tears' as family of four describe turmoil
Family devastated after death of popular man following alleged machete attack
Neighbours desperately tried to save woman killed in Roscommon house fire as tributes paid
McDonald's fans shaken after finding out what sweet and sour sauce is made from
Charlotte Crosby's devastated mum can't see new baby for heartbreaking reason
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
