A search warrant was obtained for former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall’s home on the basis that firearms and explosives were being stored there on behalf of the IRA, an inspector has told the Special Criminal Court.
The non-jury court also heard that the warrant was executed on Dowdall’s house an hour after three AK-47 assault rifles – used in the murder of Kinahan cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel – were recovered by gardaí in the boot of convicted IRA member Shane Rowan’s car.
The court also heard that a tracking device was fitted to Dowdall’s Land Cruiser when he drove Gerard Hutch across the Border two weeks after the murder of Mr Byrne.
Mr Hutch (59), last of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, denies the murder of Mr Byrne (33) during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on February 5th, 2016.
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Inspector Padraig Boyce told Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, that on October 11th, 2016 he identified Dowdall in a CCTV still as the male walking into a BP garage in Co Armagh on February 20th.
Under cross-examination, Insp Boyce agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, defending Mr Hutch, that he was tasked with collecting CCTV from around the country in connection with the wider Regency Hotel investigation.
When asked by Mr Grehan if he knew anything about a tracker being fitted to Dowdall’s SUV, Insp Boyce said he was aware that there was “an audio” but not a tracker.
Insp Boyce agreed that he was involved in obtaining a warrant to search the home of Dowdall on the Navan Road in Dublin.
“As I understand, is that on the basis at the time that firearms and explosives on behalf of the IRA were being stored at his home?” asked Mr Grehan.
“Yes, that is the information I had at the time from Detective Superintendent Tom Maguire,” he replied, adding that he did not know the source of this information.
Mr Grehan put it to Insp Boyce that this was not an independent belief that he had himself but one that was communicated to him. “I was aware there were interactions between Shane Rowan and Jonathan Dowdall,” Insp Boyce replied.
Insp Boyce said he got the warrant on March 4th, 2016 and executed it shortly after 8pm on March 9th. He said Dowdall was not arrested and that nothing in relation to firearms and explosives were recovered at his address.
However, he said a USB key was recovered in a cupboard in the kitchen on March 10th and sent for analysis.
Insp Boyce said the USB key contained video footage that showed Dowdall and his father Patrick Dowdall torturing Alex Hurley. The Dowdalls were jailed in 2017 for falsely imprisoning Mr Hurley and threatening to kill him at Jonathan’s family home on January 15th, 2015.
Jonathan Dowdall has since been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for four years for facilitating the Hutch gang in the murder of Byrne. He is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Programme after agreeing to testify against Mr Hutch.
Mr Hutch’s two co-accused – Paul Murphy (59), of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin and Jason Bonney (50), of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13 have pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on February 5, 2016.
The trial continues before Ms Justice Burns sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Gráinne Malone.