'He's terrorising my family': Heightened emotions at Hutch trial

Threat to Dowdall 'on a whole new level', court hears, as he becomes defensive under cross-examination

Jonathan Dowdall (front left) surrounded by dock officers and police during the trial at the Special Criminal Court, Dublin, of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch (third left) for the murder of David Byrne. Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook

Brendan Grehan SC put it to Jonathan Dowdall that “maybe the threat has intensified” against him given he’s now on the stand giving evidence against Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch in the Regency murder trial.

“It’s on a whole new level, Mr Grehan,” was the reply.

Mr Dowdall’s emotions were heightened every time this topic cropped back up, and reached a crescendo towards the end of another long day of cross-examination.

“Every person’s name in court is another set of enemies,” he said. “More names and enemies. He’s terrorising my family. If this grows bigger and bigger, I can’t keep doing this.” 

It was mostly familiar ground on the fourth day of the former Sinn Féin councillor’s cross-examination, and his fifth day of evidence overall, as he was brought through the things he said to gardaí back when he was first arrested in May 2016 on suspicion of murdering David Byrne in the Regency Hotel.

Mr Dowdall pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of facilitating Mr Byrne’s murder earlier this year.

Mr Grehan put it to Mr Dowdall that he told lie after lie to the gardaí during those initial interviews. The witness agreed, but maintains he couldn’t possibly have told the truth at that time. He said that there were threats being made against his family, and he couldn’t have told the truth in that garda station at that time.

That was a pattern that was followed for quite some time, with Mr Dowdall accusing Mr Grehan at one stage of “playing silly beggars”.

Why did he lie about speaking to Gerry Hutch about the Regency? Why did he lie about going to Lifford the day before the Regency? Why did he lie about his father booking the hotel room, again on the day before the Regency shooting?

The answer remained the same, as Mr Grehan went through each portion again and again.

He put it to him at one stage: “You consider yourself to be a convincing liar. You can look someone in the eye and say something even though you know it’s a complete lie.” Mr Dowdall rejected that assertion.

Nevertheless, it was striking to see the similarities between Jonathan Dowdall in a garda interview room in May 2016 and Jonathan Dowdall in the witness box at the Special Criminal Court in December 2022.

Faced with repeatedly being called a liar, Mr Dowdall is defensive, combative and frequently points to the effect that his giving evidence has had on his life and his family.

And, when gardaí were interviewing him back in May 2016, Mr Dowdall was defensive, combative and frequently pointed to the effect that being arrested and accused of murder had on his life and family.

In 2016, he said: “My business and my life will never recover from this. 

Don’t sit there and say I’ll recover from anything. I could be shot dead. 

"Don’t sit there and tell me I’m young to recover.” And, in the witness box today, he said: “You want to call me a liar, a liar, a liar. When you know too well I couldn’t speak. You know better than anyone I couldn’t.

“My life was upside down. And it hasn’t changed.” 

It’s been a long week of evidence from Jonathan Dowdall before the Special Criminal Court.

He has told the court he doesn’t care if he’s killed. He has told the court he would come in and give evidence again. He has told the court Gerry Hutch admitted to him that he shot David Byrne in the Regency. He has told the court his family are under threat. And that he’s telling the truth.

Whether or not the court accepts his evidence is a pillar on which a huge portion of the case rests.

'We’re actually only starting'

But it’s not over for Mr Dowdall yet.

"In any event,” Mr Grehan said. “There are extracts of the audio [recordings between Mr Dowdall and Mr Hutch] you disagree with, aren’t there?” 

“Are we going back over these again?” Mr Dowdall asked.

“We’re actually only starting with the audio, Mr Dowdall,” Mr Grehan answered.

The trial continues this Monday, with further cross-examination of the former Sinn Féin councillor.