The Court of Appeal has found in dismissing the former Sinn Féin councillor's bid to have his jail time reduced.
THE FOUR-YEAR sentence imposed on former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall for facilitating the murder of Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel was “very lenient”, the Court of Appeal has found in dismissing the convicted torturer’s bid to have his jail time reduced.
“If we had any doubts about the appropriateness of this sentence, it would be as to whether a more severe sentence ought to have been imposed. However, we will contend ourselves by saying we are entirely satisfied that the sentence cannot be regarded as unduly severe,” he added. Jonathan Dowdall, the sentencing court heard, had driven his father to the hotel on the evening before the attack and a phone associated with him used a mast at the hotel.
The State’s case at Gerard Hutch’s trial was that, after the Regency attack, Hutch asked Dowdall to arrange a meeting with his provisional republican contacts to mediate or resolve the Hutch-Kinahan feud due to the threats against the accused’s family and friends. Murray was very visible over the course of the day on CCTV footage and walked around the hotel freely, while during the attack he was seen on CCTV footage with a handgun held aloft.
“This is a person who pleaded guilty to an offence and someone who came before the court having been convicted of a very serious offence in the past and had served a substantial sentence, could he have had any expectation of doing better than he did?” asked the judge. “The headline sentence was too high, the discount for his plea [too low] and insufficient weight was given to his psychological and medical reports, with part reference to upending and the change to his life,” submitted Mr O’Higgins.
“It makes them morally less culpable, Dowdall was morally weak in putting himself in that position but he has paid a very high price,” he said He said the nature of the organisation was very relevant and there was also clear evidence that the Hutch Criminal Organisation, a tier one organisation, was involved in murder, money laundering and firearms.
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