At this time we inform what the Sunday World group noticed on that horrible day in February 2016.
The picture captured by Sunday World photographer Ernie Leslie as a gunman pointed an assault rifle at us confirmed Kevin Flat Cap Murray and one other man dressed as a girl working out of the resort with weapons as David Byrne was shot useless in photographs fired contained in the corridor.
At this time we inform what the Sunday World group noticed on that horrible day in February 2016.
Gunman fleeing the scene on the Regency Lodge
The photograph was introduced up throughout Gerry Hutch’s trial with Jonathan Dowdall stating that Hutch had met him within the park and requested if he had seen the Sunday World.
Dowdall stated Hutch was nervous and flustered and instructed him that he and James Mago Gately had been concerned within the Regency assault.
The Sunday World had seen the load of MGM boxing the day of the assault as we knew key figures from the Kinahan Cartel could be in attendance, together with Daniel Kinahan.
We had been there earlier that day checking in on the arrival of cartel figures.
Well-known associates of the Kinahan Cartel together with Liam Roe, David Byrne and his brother Liam made their approach into the venue and Daniel Kinahan was inside.
At 2.28pm Kevin Fats Cap Murray and the person dressed as a girl received out of a van and entered the resort, adopted shortly after by males wearing pretend garda fits carrying assault rifles, inflicting pandemonium contained in the resort. ‘inn.
David Byrne’s physique is faraway from the Regency Lodge
At this level we have been parked round a nook a couple of yards from the resort entrance and shortly after we heard a shot which we later discovered was the primary shot to wound David Byrne.
We noticed dozens of individuals fleeing the resort as quick as potential. Some fled on foot in direction of Swords Street whereas others ran off in vehicles at excessive pace.
On the identical time we rounded the nook in direction of the resort entrance and watched full chaos unfold earlier than our eyes and heard extra gunfire. We later discovered these photographs killed David Byrne and injured Sean McGovern and Aaron Bolger.
Those that hadn’t escaped from the entrance of the resort have been working for his or her lives in direction of a parking lot on the rear of the resort.
To our left a gaggle of individuals huddled in a nook close to the resort, scared of being focused. Some used their our bodies to attempt to cowl different individuals within the group and forestall them from being shot.
A number of meters in entrance of us the hit squad van was outdoors the resort.
The motive force was pointing an assault rifle out the window at a person who had crouched close to the bushes to the suitable of the van.
The motive force of the van continued to level his weapon out the window as gunshots rang out inside. It was not identified on the time whether or not the photographs got here from outdoors or contained in the resort.
Ernie stopped his jeep once we noticed the assault rifle exit the van window.
I ended to get my digicam to get an image of the gun popping out of the van, Ernie instructed the Sunday World this week.
Because the chaos was unfolding, two individuals within the flat cap and the person within the wig escaped from a parking lot on the rear of the resort.
As I used to be choosing it up, I seen somebody working in direction of the resort, Ernie stated.
I do not know what went by way of my head; Instinctively I went past the gun [in the van] concentrate on the individuals working round who appeared misplaced. I noticed Flat Caps face and gun in hand and took the image.
A gaggle of individuals in that space have been working in worry for his or her lives as screams echoed round us.
Surprisingly, not one of the gunmen wore masks and their faces have been clearly seen.
Two armed males dressed as ERU gardai enter the Regency Lodge
As these two gunmen ran in direction of the van, the driving force was nonetheless aiming his assault rifle out the window at terrified witnesses.
He quickly turned his consideration to us seeing that we have been just a few toes away. He turned the weapon round and aimed it immediately at us.
Ernies’ consideration was nonetheless on Flat Cap and the person in a girl’s swimsuit, however I yelled at him that an assault rifle was being pointed at us from the van.
Fearing he was about to open hearth, we turned again.
Flat Cap and the person within the wig went again briefly to the resort earlier than rushing again outdoors.
Somebody yelled: It is not in there, go, go, go, the fuck.
He was referring to the truth that the primary goal of the assault, Daniel Kinahan, had managed to flee from the resort.
Ernie managed to snap one other photograph which captured one of many males dressed as gardai as he made his technique to the van.
The hit males have been quickly all again within the van which then drove previous the resort.
These current feared that the hit squad would proceed taking pictures, however as a substitute headed for the gated Grace Park Manor condo constructing on the rear of the resort, proper subsequent to a car parking zone the place individuals had fled in terror.
The killers then solely waited about 15 seconds, but it surely appeared like eternally because the digital gates slowly moved again and allow them to cross by way of the compound.
Clearly, they’d deliberate their assault rigorously because the complicated wanted an digital distant management to open the gates. They fled by way of the compound by way of one other entrance on Grace Park Street.
We made our technique to the gate, however thought higher of attempting to observe the armed gang.
David Byrne was shot and killed on the Regency Lodge
Round us, teams of shocked witnesses struggled to return to phrases with the sheer horror of what had transpired.
As we walked again in direction of the resort, we noticed onlookers standing uncertain of what to do.
Then MGM boxer Anthony Fitzgerald, a good friend of the Hutch household, was loading his relations right into a automotive earlier than driving away from the scene. Days later he give up boxing and was later focused in violent incidents believed to have been carried out by Kinahan’s associates.
One other boxer Jamie Kavanagh, whose father and uncle have been killed in gangland heists, seemed to be vomiting as he walked in direction of a automotive within the car parking zone.
Kinahan’s affiliate Liam Roe strolled the identical car parking zone in entrance of the resort as a gaggle of associates circled him.
Contained in the resort foyer, Liam Byrne stood beside his brother’s physique, shocked by what had transpired.
Again outdoors, Gardai started arriving on the scene and spoke to a number of witnesses.
A infamous gangster instructed a garda to fuck himself when he requested his title.
Different witnesses began shouting at one other cameraman who was current. Individuals slowly started to filter out of the resort a number of minutes later once they have been instructed the coast was clear. Some gathered in teams, shocked and speechless attempting to determine what had occurred. Some wept and others fled the scene.
The next morning the Sunday World photographed Daniel Kinahan, Thomas Bomber Kavanagh and Fats Freddie Thompson assembly for a gang summit on the Byrne household house in Crumlin.
Liam Byrne carries the coffin at his brother David Byrne’s funeral Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
That photograph was posted alongside a pixelated picture of Flat Cap and the person within the wig within the days after Sunday World.
Jonathan Dowdall claimed he met Gerry Hutch in Whitehall Park after the paper went to press and Hutch was nervous and requested if he had seen the photograph.
He requested me if I had seen the papers and I stated sure.”
He stated Mr Hutch requested if he had seen a photograph within the Sunday World of individuals leaving the Regency on the day of the taking pictures.
Dowdall stated he instructed him who he thought the gunman within the wig was and Mr. Hutch stated the identical factor: “younger Patrick”.
It was later identified to Dowdall that the picture had been pixelated on the time, making it obscure how he might have thought the gunman within the wig appeared like Patrick based mostly on that photograph.
Dowdall additionally claimed that it was throughout this assembly that Hutch instructed him he was concerned within the Regency assault.
Retaliation by Kinahan was swift with Gerrys Hutch’s brother Eddie Snr being shot useless in his Dublin house simply three days after the Regency assault.
Thus far 18 murders have been attributed to the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
Based mostly on Ernies’ image of Flat Cap and the person within the wig, the state ordered Murray and Patrick Hutch to be charged with the homicide.
Murray died earlier than he could possibly be extradited from his native Northern Eire, whereas the trial of Patrick Hutch – whose brother Gary was killed by the cartel in Spain in 2015 – started in 2018.
It ended greater than a 12 months later, with Hutch strolling out of court docket after the state dropped the cost in opposition to him.
It was broadly believed that the cost could be dropped following the tragic suicide of Chief Investigator Det Supt Colm Fox in the course of his trial.
