David Byrne (33) was shot and killed during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel<\/a> on the Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9 on February 5, 2016. Gunmen, one dressed in drag and others in fake garda uniforms, stormed the hotel in pursuit of members of the Kinahan organised crime group.The prosecution case against Bonney and Murphy was that they had travelled in convoy with four other cars to St Vincent’s GAA club on Dublin’s northside and that after the Regency attack, they each drove one of the hitmen from there.The Special Criminal Court found that Bonney was driving a BMW jeep at St Vincent’s car park when one of the gunmen, dissident republican Kevin Murray – known as “Flat Cap” – got into his vehicle after the attack. Mr Murray died from motor neurone disease in 2017 before he could be brought to trial.The court also found that Murphy had used his silver Avensis taxi to pick up one of the gunmen at St Vincent’s car park.Murphy, of Cherry Avenue, Swords, Co Dublin was jailed for nine years following his conviction for facilitating the shooting by acting as a getaway driver. Bonney, of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 13 received eight-and-a-half years for the same offence. They had both pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1_JS296403728.jpg\")
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The Bonnington Hotel(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)<\/p>\n
Bids by both men to overturn their convictions were dismissed by the Court of Appeal in November, with their lawyers informing the court that the pair would appeal their respective sentences.In launching an appeal against these sentences today, Brian McInerney SC, representing Bonney, said that the headline term of ten years set by the sentencing court was excessive.He said that former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall – who facilitated the murder of David Byrne – received a headline sentence of eight years, but his \u201clevel of immersion\u201d was at a far deeper level than Bonney\u2019s and was over a more extended period of time.Mr McInerney went on to say that the level of reduction from the headline sentence was insufficient and ought to have been far greater. While there had been no guilty plea offered, counsel said that Bonney was 52 at the time of sentence, with a “completely unblemished” criminal record and a very strong work history, as well as contributions to society, including his involvement in boxing.To this, appeal judge Mr Justice John Edwards said that prosocial contributions only take a person so far and can only result in a modest discount for mitigation. He added that the gravity of the offending was such that it mandated a very significant custodial sentence.Mark Lynam SC, representing Murphy, said that the sentence imposed on his client was too high, given Murphy\u2019s level of involvement and engagement in the offence, including his lack of knowledge.To this, Mr Justice Edwards said that the appellant must have known that he was acting on behalf of a criminal organisation.Mr Lynam replied that Murphy was not on the garda radar at all, and there was a lack of planning on his part. He said that Murphy had been involved in a convoy of vehicles collecting people, but he was only involved in a very peripheral way.Mr Lynam said that not enough credit was given for Murphy\u2019s lack of knowledge of the seriousness of what was to transpire on the day.Counsel for the State, Fiona Murphy SC, said the sentencing court had been satisfied that Murphy transported one of the hitmen. She said that the events of the day could not have been carried out without a number of people, who knew they were involved in a serious criminal activity. Ms Murphy said the sentencing court had determined that the appellants were integral parts of a “very serious criminal endeavour”. She went on to say that any complaints about the headline sentences were not justified, as there was no error in principle. Ms Murphy also said that Bonney received a 15% reduction from the headline sentence, which was significant. The sentencing court was told that Bonney, who has no previous convictions, once ran a building company employing 10 people. The non-jury court heard that Murphy has 67 previous convictions which include public order, road traffic, larceny and criminal damage offences, all of which were dealt with at District Court level.Mr Justice Edwards said the court would deliver its judgment this Friday, July 3.Jonathan Dowdall (47) – a married father of four with a last address at Navan Road, Cabra, Dublin 7 – had originally been charged with the murder of David Byrne. The State dropped that charge however after he admitted to the lesser offence of facilitating the Hutch gang by making a room available at the Regency Hotel for use by the perpetrators the night before the attack.On October 17, 2022, Jonathan Dowdall was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to four years imprisonment for facilitating the Hutch gang in the murder of Byrne.<\/p>\n
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