The Special Criminal Court will rule tomorrow on whether or not undercover officers can give evidence anonymously in the trial of three men for the murder associated with the Regency Hotel shooting six years ago.
Six of the 27 members from the National Surveillance Unit involved in the case have since retired in the wake of the Regency Hotel shooting in February 2016 in Dublin, in which Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne was shot and killed.
Prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy said there was a genuine concern for the safety of the witnesses. That application was opposed by the defence.
Senior Counsel Brendan Grehan said there isn’t a solid legal basis for the application for anonymity and that his client Gerard Hutch should have a conventional trial.
Mr. Grehan also pointed out that Gerry Hutch a.k.a. ‘The Monk‘ had challenged his trial in the Special Criminal Court but did not succeed.
Mr Grehan said that this was just “another layer” that would not happen in another court, seeking a “cloak of secrecy” over this particular part of the case.
59-year-old Hutch has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel on February 5th, 2016.
59-year-old Paul Murphy and 50-year-old Jason Bonney, have pleaded not guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing vehicles on the same date.
