Jonathan Dowdall sentenced to four years over role in facilitating Regency Hotel murder

Jonathan Dowdall appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday. Picture: Collins Courts

Former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall has been sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder of David Byrne in Dublin.

Jonathan Dowdall, 44, and his father, Patrick Dowdall, admitted assisting a criminal gang to commit the murder of Mr Byrne in February 2016.

Patrick Dowdall was jailed for two years for his role in the killing. The two men sat side by side before the non-jury Special Criminal Court on Monday.

Mr Byrne, 34, was killed during a crowded boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in one of the early attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud, which has claimed at least 18 lives.

Jonathan Dowdall said he is willing to testify and give evidence in the trial of Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, who is accused of Mr Byrne’s murder.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said he accepts there is an “immediate and lasting” effect of providing assistance to authorities in the murder trial and that it will also put him and his extended family in “significant peril”.

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit provide added security at the Special Criminal Court for the Jonathan Dowdall sentencing today. Picture: Collins Courts

The judge said Jonathan Dowdall’s life and the lives of his relatives have been “upended, (and become) more onerous and dangerous” in all possible circumstances.

He told the court that Patrick Dowdall will be caught up in the aftermath of his son’s decision to turn state witness.

Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick Dowdall won't commence their custodial sentence for two weeks so they can "settle their affairs" and "contact various professional persons".

Both men will stay in protective custody for the next two weeks before commencing their sentences before they are presented to the Governor of Portlaoise Prison. Jonathan Dowdall is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program after agreeing to testify against his friend and former co-accused Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch.

Sentencing the 44-year-old at the non-jury court today, presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted that the former electrician knew that he was assisting a serious criminal organisation and that he had received and followed instructions to obtain the hotel room at the Regency Hotel. "He gave a key card to another member of the criminal organisation and made a room available to a leading member. The consequences of the assistance were particularly grave," he added.

Jonathan Dowdall, Mr Justice Hunt said, had also appeared to continue the association with the same criminal organisation on March 7, 2016.

The three-judge court found that the former Dublin city councillor, with an address at Navan Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, had also journeyed to meet with a man in north county Dublin and travelled with the same man to Northern Ireland.

Referring to a submission by counsel for Jonathan Dowdall that no "injustice" would be done by giving his client a suspended sentence due to exceptional circumstances of the case, Mr Justice Hunt said that "regrettably" the court could not accept this. "The offer of assistance to the prosecution does not justify a wholly suspended sentence," he said.

The judge said that the "extraordinary additional factor" was Jonathan Dowdall's decision to make a statement to gardaí and give evidence against others. "It is not part of our function to assess the relevance of this," he added.

However, the three-judge court accepted that this decision had put Dowdall and his family "in peril" and that their lives had been "upended".

Mr Justice Hunt, sitting with Judge Martin Nolan and Judge James Faughnan, sentenced Jonathan Dowdall to four years' imprisonment.

Co-accused and Jonathan's father Patrick Dowdall (65), of the same address, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in facilitating the murder of Mr Byrne.

Passing sentence on Patrick Dowdall, Mr Justice Hunt said that the senior man had made no attempt to conceal or disguise his actions. The court accepted that Patrick Dowdall would be "caught up" in the aftermath of his son's decision to turn State witness.

Hutch, 59, will stand trial on Tuesday for the murder of Mr Byrne.

Paul Murphy, 60, of Cabra Road, and Jason Bonney, 50, of Drumnigh Wood in Portmarnock, are also due to go on trial.