Jonathan Dowdall loses appeal against severity of four-year sentence

The former Sinn Féin councillor had been jailed for four years for facilitating the murder of Kinahan cartel member David Byrne in 2016 and the Court of Appeal ruled that this was 'very lenient'

Jonathan Dowdall, leaving the Special Criminal Court during the trial, with his father Patrick Dowdall. Picture: Collins Courts

The four-year sentence imposed on former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall for facilitating the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel was “very lenient”, the Court of Appeal has found in dismissing the convicted torturer’s bid to have his jail time reduced.

Upholding the former electrician's sentence on Friday, the president of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham said that counsel on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions had commented that the imposition of such a significantly reduced sentence may in all the circumstances be considered generous.