EXCLUSIVE

DEATH LIST 

Chilling gangland threat made against Dowdall’s innocent relatives with ‘severe’ warning after Gerry Hutch trial move

• 7:00, 7 Oct 2022

TWO innocent relatives of former Hutch gang associate Jonathan Dowdall have been warned of death threats.

The pair — who have no involvement in crime — have been officially told by the Gardai of a severe threat to their lives.

They received an official Garda Information Message just 24 hours after it was revealed former Sinn Fein councillor Dowdall, 44, will testify against Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

He’ll be a State witness at Hutch’s upcoming trial for the killing of David Byrne, 34, at Dublin’s Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.

It’s understood one of the men alerted has refused to leave his home.

Both men later raised their concerns with Independent councillor Nial Ring.

The ex-Dublin Lord Mayor last night confirmed he was contacted by Dowdall’s innocent relatives.

Cllr Ring told The Irish Sun: “These two men have absolutely nothing to do with anything and yet here they are being warned their lives are in danger.

“I saw the GIM form and the word ‘severe’ was underlined and this is very concerning.

“These men are good people who are in no way connected in any shape or form to organised crime

“They are obviously very ­concerned that they have been targeted simply because of who their relative is.

“All these men want to do is go about their business and this is a nervous time for them.”

Cllr Ring — who was also contacted by Gareth Hutch just two days before he was shot dead — warned how tension had returned to the north inner city after Monday’s developments at the Special Criminal Court.

He added: “The people of this area were fed up with an international feud being fought on the streets of the north inner city.

“There is also a sense of surprise in the north inner city at Jonathan ­Dowdall’s course of action and people are talking about it.

“The last thing locals want to see is innocent people being caught up in this.”

‘MONK HAD NO IDEA’

Our latest revelations come as it emerged Hutch had no clue Dowdall would become a State witness and testify against him until ten days ago.

The pair had been sharing their own wing at Wheatfield prison away from rival Kinahan members who’d threatened to kill them.

A prison source said last night: “They were buddies for the last year since the Monk was arrested and brought home from Spain.

“Jonathan and his father Patrick were detained with Gerry and a few other Hutch gang members on their own wing.

“Gerry and Jonathan were often together and the Monk had no idea what was coming.”

It’s understood that early last week Dowdall and his father Patrick, 65, were removed from the prison in a major security op.

GUILTY PLEA

On Friday, they both pleaded guilty to facilitating Byrne’s murder.

The source added: “They were taken out around ten days ago and put into protective Garda custody.

“They did their own deal and the Monk hadn’t a clue.

“The Gardai dropped the murder charge against Jonathan and he admitted with his dad to the lesser offence of helping a criminal gang commit a murder.

“Gerry Hutch rarely shows emotion but he was angry when the father
and son left their wing — he knew something serious was up.”

The Dowdalls will be sentenced by the three-judge Special Criminal Court in a fortnight.

Our source added: “They are gone from prison for the moment and it is now up to the courts and the Gardai what happens next.”

Cops have upped patrols to protect Dowdall’s innocent relatives in recent days.

As part of their efforts to keep his relatives safe, cops have a list of all their addresses.