REVEALED | 

Pics capture the moment Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch met with dissident republicans in Donegal

The meeting, and the conversations The Monk had with Jonathan Dowdall on the way up to Donegal, would form the key plank of the State’s case for murder

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THIS is the moment Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch walks back to Jonathan Dowdall’s Toyota Landcruiser after holding a secret summit with dissident republicans in Donegal.

The Monk can be seen wearing a beanie hat as he walks to the jeep parked in Killygordon, Co. Donegal at the height of the Hutch-Kinahan feud.

The photographs, taken on February 20, 2016 and published for the first time today, show Hutch outside the home of convicted IRA man Shane Rowan.

The veteran criminal had been driven to the modest house to meet with alleged dissident chief Paul ‘Bosco’ McCready to discuss the gangland war that was raging on Dublin’s streets.

Unknown to Hutch, the supposedly top-secret summit was being monitored every step of the way by the gardai who had trailed him from Dublin.

murder

The meeting, and the conversations The Monk had with Jonathan Dowdall on the way up to Donegal, would form the key plank of the State’s case for murder.

Today, in a Sunday World investigation, we look inside the Regency Hotel trial and how Hutch tried to fight back against the State’s murder charge.

Our investigation includes details of how Gerry Hutch’s family wrote to a judge asking for his rights to be respected “no matter his background”.

We also reveal details of the Garda evidence allegedly linking the leadership of the Hutch gang to the IRA, which was not admitted in court.

On 20 February, 2016, just two weeks after the murder of David Byrne, Hutch and Dowdall travelled North to hold a meeting with republicans to try and arrange a truce with the Kinahan gang.

Hutch had arranged to meet veteran dissident Paul ‘Bosco’ McCready – also known as ‘Wee’ – to discuss how to handle the fallout from the Regency attack.

Dowdall and Hutch had left Dublin earlier that day in the ex-Sinn Féin councillor’s Toyota Landcruiser and had travelled through Northern Ireland to get to Killygordon.

The duo had arranged to hold a meeting at the home of Shane Rowan, who was later jailed for possession of the three AK47s used in the Regency murder.

In a statement, an officer from the Garda’s Crime and Security division – identified only as Member L – gave evidence of how he observed a Volkswagen Passat drive into the Forest Park Estate.

The unnamed officer said: “In this vehicle were Paul ‘Bosco’ McCreedy, who was driving, Gerard Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall.

“The Passat was reversed into the vacant parking spot. Gerard Hutch left the Passat and got into the passenger side of 161 D 16625 grey Toyota Landcruiser which was parked nearby.

“At the same time, Jonathan Dowdall and Paul Bosco McCreedy entered 16C Forest Park.

“At 4.38pm approx Paul ‘Bosco’ McCreedy left 16C and beckoned Gerard Hutch into the house.

“At 5.05pm approx Jonathan Dowdall, Gerard Hutch and Paul ‘Bosco’ McCreedy left 16C Forest Park and walked towards the Landcruiser.

“Dowdall was carrying a small black holdall with orange trim which he placed in the rear of the jeep. Gerard Hutch got into the passenger side of the Landcruiser while Jonathan Dowdall got into the driver’s side.

“Paul ‘Bosco’ McCreedy was engaged in conversation with Gerard Hutch. At this point, Shea Rowan left 16C and approached the Landcruiser, however, before he reached the vehicle he stopped and returned to 16C.”

Last week, Hutch returned to Ireland after spending 12 weeks on holiday in Spain.

After his ‘not-guilty’ verdict, Hutch is a free man who is able to come and go without any restrictions. The Monk is believed to have been living openly in north Dublin, a sign of his increased confidence the level of threat he is facing has diminished.

However, as his trial approached in 2022 – it is clear The Monk and his family feared the taped conversations with Jonathan Dowdall posed a threat to his future.

In a formal complaint, a member of Hutch’s family – who is not involved in crime – personally wrote to the Office of Complaints Referee describing the taped conversations which were partially recorded in Northern Ireland as “an abuse”.

The Complaints Referee is a statutory body headed up by a judge which investigates complaints from people who believe that their communications have been intercepted illegally.

The letter, addressed to Judge Elma Sheehan, claims gardai should only have been allowed carry out covert surveillance within the State – and not within Northern Ireland.

It reads: “The actions of An Garda Síochána represent a conscious and deliberate contravention of the basis on which the Authorisation was issued.”

During the trial, another key element of the State’s case against Gerry Hutch’s co-accused, Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy, was the existence of the Hutch Organised Crime Group.

In court, Detective Supt David Gallagher of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau described how the gang operates a “patriarchal” system of “loyalty based on monetary gain”.

However, Gerry Hutch’s defence team successfully argued that some of this evidence should not be admitted into the trial.

It was argued that the evidence sought to be admitted against Hutch’s co-accused did not respect his presumption of innocence.

It was “prejudicial and unfair” to Hutch whose constitutional right to a presumption of innocence could be taken away by the evidence without him being convicted, the defence claimed.

However, the Sunday World can reveal for the first time today the section of the Garda evidence that was removed during the trial.

It reads: “The leadership, participants and associates within or affiliated with the Hutch OCG would have long established links with business and professional enablers as well as other OCGs and Republicans groups operating in this jurisdiction with whom they would often co-operate in furtherance of criminal activities.”

While The Monk was undoubtedly the focus of most of the media attention during the case, two other men described as getaway drivers were also on trial in the Special Criminal Court.

Both Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy would ultimately be convicted for their role in the Regency Hotel murder.

Bonney (52), of Drumnigh Wood, Portrtmarnock, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for facilitating the killing of Mr Byrne, while taxi driver Paul Murphy (61) was sentenced to nine years for the same offence.

In a conversation with gardai, Murphy described how he bought his taxi off Gerry Hutch’s brother, Neddy.

Edward ‘Neddy’ Hutch was shot dead on February 8, 2016 by Kinahan Cartel gunmen in revenge for the murder of David Byrne.

When asked by gardai if he knew the Hutch family, Paul Murphy said he knew Neddy Hutch and bought his taxi off him.”

Jason Bonney was also quizzed on his knowledge of the Hutch and Kinahan factions. He admitted to gardai that he had met with Ross Browning on one occasion but insisted he had no other ties to the Kinahan gang.

Last month, the Criminal Assets Bureau seized a number of properties and assets from Browning, who they described as the cartel’s number one man in Ireland.