The trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch may go ahead next Tuesday after “substantial progress” was made over the past week.
Hutch, 59, appeared this morning before a hearing of the Special Criminal Court charged with the murder of David Byrne at Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. Dressed in a navy blazer, white shirt and dark trousers, Hutch sat with headphones on and remained silent during this morning’s short hearing.
Prosecuting counsel Sean GIllane SC outlined to the judges this morning that a “significant amount of work” had been done to gather material disclosed and that there was a “relatively small” amount of material left to disclose to the defence today.
Read more: Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch went 'crazy' after hearing Jonathon Dowdall turned State's witness
Mr Gillane stated that an application could potentially be made to open the case next Monday at 2pm in that case.
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC agreed that “very substantial progress” had been made and repeated that his client Mr Hutch is “very anxious” for the trial to proceed. He said therefore it was from their point of view that they would hope to be “all systems go” for next Monday.
However the court heard that due to a member of the court having a work commitment issue, that perhaps Tuesday morning at 11am would be a better date.
Both sides agreed that Tuesday would suit. Asked by the trial judge how long the trial could be expected to last, Mr Grehan said: “I was afraid you might ask that question.”
He went on to say that he was not in a position today to say whether the trial would finish by Christmas. Mr Grehan said it was quite possible that that may be the case but he cannot say for certainty how long the trial would last.
He said there would be substantial cross examination and that it was possible the trial could go into January. He did however say “we hope to finish by Christmas.”
If the trial were to last beyond that then it was not expected that it would last for many weeks after. The matter was put back to next Tuesday at 11am.
Armed gardai again encircled the building of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Parkgate Street as Hutch was driven into the underground car park ahead of this morning’s court appearance.
Read more: Jonathan Dowdall 'implicates others' in statement as he prepares to give evidence in Monk trial
Last week it was indicated that the trial could face a delay after “very significant evidence” came to light. Last week Hutch’s trial heard that there was now a “nolel prosequi” on count two of the indictment - meaning the prior murder charge against Jonathan Dowdall has been dropped.
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, for Hutch, told the non-jury court that his client has been in custody for over a year and that he was “anxious” to proceed with his trial. But he said “matters developed” last week and they were served with “very significant evidence” which has now resulted in a “fundamental reappraisal of the defence strategy.”
Sean Gillane SC, on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions added that there had been "some developments" in the Regency hotel trial and that two of the accused (the Dowdalls) had taken a “certain course” and their sentencing had been adjourned.
Mr Gillane added that there had been "a further development" in the service of additional evidence to the defence and that it was proper "for the case to go back to next Monday".
The three judge court granted a delay of a week in which it will then be seen “where the parties are at.”
Mr Hutch, last of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, is charged with the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9, on February 5, 2016.
Mr Hutch's two co-accused - Paul Murphy, 59, of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Jason Bonney, 50, of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13 are both charged with participating in or contributing to activity intending to or being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation or any of its members, to wit the murder of David Byrne, by providing access to individual motor vehicles to that criminal organisation or its members, within the State on February 5, 2016.
Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne, 34, from Crumlin, was shot dead at the hotel on the Swords Road in Dublin in February 2016 after five men, three disguised as armed gardaí, stormed the building, which was hosting a boxing weigh-in at the time.
On September 29 2021, Hutch appeared before an out-of-hours sitting of the non-jury Special Criminal Court charged with the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9, on February 5, 2016.
Hutch was extradited from Spain after his final appeal against extradition to Ireland was rejected by a Spanish Appeals Court on September 14.
He has remained in custody in Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison since he was flown back to Ireland after being arrested at a restaurant in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol in Spain on August 12, 2021 by the Guardia Civil.
The arrest came after a European Arrest Warrant was issued for Hutch in April 2021.
Read next:
- Hutch gang members' fears as 'gangland trial of the century' begins
- Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch 'laughed' at gardai after he was arrested and taken from cell
- Kinahan cartel flew millions of cocaine into Ireland on private plane
- Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch back in prison cell after being quizzed by gardai over suspected organised crime offences
- Airplane and cocaine worth millions seized in huge garda raid spanning four counties
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