Two men have been found guilty of helping a criminal gang to commit the murder of a Kinahan gang member at the Regency Hotel seven years ago.
Jason Bonney, 52, a builder from Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the charge of participating in or contributing to the murder of David Byrne by providing access to motor vehicles on 5 February 2016.
He was found to be one of the getaway drivers.
Paul Murphy, 61, a taxi driver from Cherry Avenue, Swords, in Co Dublin, was found guilty of the same charge.
Both Bonney and Murphy had pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution said Bonney drove his BMW X5 Jeep in convoy to St Vincent's GAA grounds before the shooting, waited in the car park and drove one of the gunmen, Kevin 'Flat Cap' Murray, away after the murder.
The court was told that Bonney was also part of a six-car convoy which drove all the gunmen away afterwards and the fact that the first four cars broke the lights on their way out of the GAA grounds showed the urgency of the situation.
Bonney's Jeep was seen entering Buckingham Village on the morning of the murder, the place the prosecution says the hit team met up before the attack and he was the only one with a key to the jeep.
CCTV and phone evidence in relation to the movements of Bonney and his jeep that day were shown to the court.
The court also heard that Bonney spoke to the gardaí just over two weeks after the murder and again in May 2016 but did not tell them then that his late father William had been driving the Jeep on the day of the murder, a defence which he subsequently introduced for the first time during the trial.
Two defence witnesses, Julie McGlynn and Peter Tyrell, testified that they saw Bonney’s late father William driving the black BMW Jeep that day.
Presiding judge Ms Justice Tara Burns said that Ms McGlynn did nothing about bringing this vital information to anyone’s attention, including the gardaí, until she was approached by Bonney’s solicitor in October 2022.
This, the judge said, was in spite of Bonney having being charged in 2021 and her being a regular visitor to his house, 40 times.
She also pointed out that Peter Tyrell did not bring his information to the gardaí either.
"Court must approach Ms Mc Glynn’s evidence with scepticism particularly in the light of the application for planning permission," the judge said.
"It seems bizarre that she had this vital exonerating information about her friend but did not bring it forward.
"Ms McGlynn’s evidence does not tally with the CCTV evidence of the BMW’s movements."
The court also found that it was "bizarre" Peter Tyrell would go to Bonney’s solicitor to view the footage instead of going to the gardaí.
"He seems to be quite incorrect that he regularly saw William Bonney driving the jeep considering Jason Bonney saying it was his jeep," Ms Justice Burns said.
Bonney’s brother in-law Paul Byrne testified that the late William Bonney could not have been driving the Jeep at the time of the murder because he and his wife were having lunch with him.
"The court completely accepts the evidence of Mr Byrne that the Regency was a day that you can remember where you were when it happened," Ms Justice Burns said.
"Not only did Jason Bonney not mention it when arrested in 2016, but he said he hadn’t spoken to his father in two years and said he had had a falling out with him.
"He makes no mention of his father taking the Jeep on 5 of February, nor that there was a witness to that."
It is irreconcilable, the judge said, that Bonney was in fear for his father since he had not spoken to him for two years.
"It is a bizarre proposition that he would not mention his father’s repossession of the Jeep on the day of the Regency having been arrested on suspicion of being involved," Ms Justice Burns said.
"The court is satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt of Paul Burns account and that William Bonney was at home that day, did not leave his house that day during the Regency and did not drive the BMW Jeep.
"This court was lied to in the most malevolent manner and a dead father implicated and that anyone thought these lies would be accepted is quite simply amazing," the judge said.
The court is satisfied Bonney was back at his house in Drumnigh Woods at lunchtime and ran back to the Jeep and later seen coming back afterwards.
Ms Justice Tara Burns said the court was satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that he remained the sole driver of the BMW that day and when Kevin Murray got into that car after the Regency attack
The court is also satisfied he knew of the Hutch Organised Crime Group and that the Regency attack was orchestrated by the gang.
It is satisfied he provided the gang with access to his jeep to commit the murder.
Taxi driver Murphy was also found by the court to be one of the getaway drivers. He admitted that he was the only person driving the taxi that day.
The prosecution said that Murphy drove his Toyota Avensis in convoy to St Vincent's GAA grounds before the shooting, waited in the car park and drove one of the gunmen away as part of a six car convoy after the murder.
Murphy's Avensis was seen entering Buckingham Village on the morning of the murder, the place the prosecution says the hit team met up beforehand and became operational around 11.20am.
Murphy admitted he was there that morning.
A swipe card which allowed access through the barrier into Buckingham Village was found in Murphy’s car.
The sequence number found on the card was one away from the number found on the access card discovered at Patrick Hutch senior’s home on Champions Avenue. Patrick Hutch senior is Gerard Hutch’s older brother.
The prosecution described Murphy’s explanation that he found the card in his taxi and "chanced it" to see if it would work at Buckingham Village as "laughable."
The court found that the evidence establishes beyond reasonable doubt that it is Murphy’s taxi in the CCTV entering and leaving Buckingham street.
The prosecution also said that taxi receipts found in Murphy's car were manufactured for the purpose of getting "some kind of alibi".
The court however said it was satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that the receipts are inaccurate and that he was not engaged in this work at the times he says.
Ms Justice Tara Burns said the court was satisfied that Murphy's taxi was present at St Vincent's GAA club and took one of the hitmen from St Vincent's.
It is also satisfied he was driving the taxi and remained driving it all day.
She said the court was satisfied Murphy knew of the Hutch Organised Crime Group.
"He knew the Hutchs, Patsy, Jonathan and Neddy," she said.
"He was in possession of key card to Buckingham village, the centre of operations. It does not accept a passenger accidentally left this key card in his taxi.
"His use was clearly a planned event, the card linked in numerical sequence to card found in Patsy Hutch’s home
"The court is satisfied the Regency attack was orchestrated by the Hutch Organised Crime Group."
