Jonathan Dowdall to 'finally' give evidence against Gerry Hutch on Monday

Mr Hutch denies the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016

Armed officers outside the Special Criminal Court where Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and others are appearing charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in 2016. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Jonathan Dowdall, a former co-accused of Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch who has turned State's witness, will "finally" give evidence in the Regency Hotel murder trial on Monday, despite the status of his Witness Protection Programme application remaining unknown, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

After the non-jury court was told on Friday a decision on Dowdall's status within the Witness Protection Programme (WPP) would not be made until the middle of January next year, Mr Hutch's barrister Brendan Grehan SC said his client was "anxious" that his trial proceed, as he was not at all convinced about the timetable suggested or that it would necessarily "yield any fruit".