Jonathan Dowdall says threats to his family increased after agreeing to testify against Hutch

By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA
Published 17th Dec 2022, 08:59 BST
Updated 17th Dec 2022, 09:12 BST
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall being cross examined by Mr Hutch's defence barrister, Brendan Grehan SC during the trial at the Special Criminal Court, Dublin, of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch for the murder of David Byrne at a hotel in Dublin in 2016 NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall being cross examined by Mr Hutch's defence barrister, Brendan Grehan SC during the trial at the Special Criminal Court, Dublin, of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch for the murder of David Byrne at a hotel in Dublin in 2016 NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall being cross examined by Mr Hutch's defence barrister, Brendan Grehan SC during the trial at the Special Criminal Court, Dublin, of Gerry "The Monk" Hutch for the murder of David Byrne at a hotel in Dublin in 2016 NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Key State witness Jonathan Dowdall has told the court that the threat level to his family has increased since he decided to testify in the trial of Gerard "The Monk" Hutch.

Hutch's legal team is playing videos of gardai interviewing Dowdall in 2016 in the wake of the Regency shooting. The defence is then cross-examining Dowdall on why he wasn't more forthcoming about what he knew.

"I've no connection to the Regency hotel in any shape or form," the former Sinn Fein councillor is heard telling Gardai on the tapes. I'm not connected to the murder." Later in the tapes, when asked did he bring his father Patrick to the Regency hotel, Dowdall tells Gardai: "I can't remember, I've no comment on it. Jesus Christ."

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During Garda questioning of Dowdall over when he had last been to the Regency hotel, to which Dowdall answered he had not been in the hotel for "years", Dowdall is seen holding his head in his hand. Dowdall responded in court on Friday that he didn't know at that time that the room booked at the Regency was involved in the murder of David Byrne.

He said he also couldn't tell Gardai about certain aspects for fear of what would happen to him and his family. What I knew would happen then has happened now," he said, adding that it was "worse" than he had feared. The level of threats against his mother and family increased after he decided to give evidence, he added. "Telling a 62-year-old woman that she's dead, that my children are dead," Dowdall said.

Dowdall told the court his children haven't attended school since September because the threat level is too high, and that it has affected his daughter's career.

"The level of pressure that people get under," he said, adding that it was why no one testifies. Senior council for Hutch, Brendan Grehan, responded he would keep asking questions and that he would not be put off from doing his job.

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Mr Grehan repeatedly put it to Dowdall that he had chosen to speak to Gardai during the 2016 interviews and told the court that he had chosen to tell "elaborate lies".

"You didn't have to say anything but instead you chose to lie your way out of the situation." Hutch, from the Paddocks, Clontarf, has denied the charge of murder. The trial continues.