Jonathan Dowdall's plush torture house finally sold as prison release looms
The former Sinn Fein councillor's home, where he once waterboarded a man, has sold after over a year on the market - and within weeks of his scheduled release from prison, having served his time for his role in the Regency Hotel shooting of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne.
The massive four bedroom home - number 270 Navan Road, was on the market for an eye watering €795,000 - and is believed to have sold for far more than that. Dowdall is set to net that money, along with his soon to be new life abroad - courtesy of the Irish State.
Now we have learned that despite having a release date in early October, prison bosses are prepared to have Dowdall be released earlier than that - with his release being facilitated by An Garda Siochana. Sources say he could be released any day now - and it will likely happen under the cover of night and at a moments notice.
It is believed Dowdall has been admitted into the State's witness protection programme - despite being a disastrous witness for the prosecution in the case against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.
He has been housed on a quiet landing of Limerick Prison, where he spends 23 hours a day in his cell - and does not ever mix with the rest of the prison population.
Since his incarceration in 2022 to a four year sentence for helping a criminal organisation carry out the murder of David Byrne, Dowdall has been the most high profile prisoner in the system - and security around him has been tight. The home of Jonathan Dowdall has been sold (myhome.ie)
Gardai will have the power to take Dowdall out of prison early - with his 'temporary' release then being signed off on by the Irish Prison Service, allowing for him to get out ahead of his scheduled release, and to ensure his safety.
It is likely he will then be wizzed off to another country where he will be given new accomodation and a new identity. It will also become illegal overnight to reveal his new identity or location.
There remains serious concerns for his safety and that of his family - as gardai believe he has not only made enemies of the Hutch and Kinahan mobs - but dissident republican groups as well.
Dowdall, a married father of four, pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of David Byrne in September of 2022. He ultimately accepted that he made a room available at the Regency Hotel to the Hutch gang which was used later that night by one of the gunmen - 'Flat Cap' Kevin Murray during the now infamous shooting on February 5, 2016.
He had originally been charged with the murder of David Byrne - but that charge was dramatically dropped and he was able to plead to the lesser charge. That became the subject of controversy during the trial of Gerry Hutch, in which Dowdall turned State witness and gave evidence to the court over the course of a week.
The witness was repeatedly challenged by Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan about the exact circumstances of how that charge was dropped, and whether he was only willing to give evidence against the accused if that occurred.
Dowdall's involvement in the operation also came under intense scrutiny - from the secretly recorded conversation he had with Hutch in which he implied a significant amount of criminality - to his allegation that the accused had confessed to the murder of David Byrne to him in a park in Whitehall - days after the shooting.
His evidence was ultimately thrown out by the three judges of the Special Criminal Court - who ruled that Gerry Hutch was not guilty of the murder of David Byrne.
Hutch sensationally walked free from the court on April 17 2023 after Ms Justice Tara Burns said that Dowdall's evidence in particular must be treated with 'scepticism and extreme care.'
Dowdall had claimed to gardai that Hutch personally confessed to him to the murder of Byrne two or three days after the shooting in Ellenfield Park in Whitehall - but Ms Justice Burns said the court could not corroborate his claims.
Justice Burns said then when Dowdall took the witness stand it would have been expected he would tell the full truth 'warts and all,' but she said 'that was not the case.'
Dowdall also served a lengthy sentence for the horrific torture of a man named Alexander Hurley in the garage of his home on the Navan Road. Alexander Hurley was subjected to horrific torture at the hands of the former Sinn Fein councillor and his father, who waterboarded him in the garage of his home on the Navan Road in Dublin on January 15, 2015.
In a previous interview with this paper, Mr Hurley, who said his life has been hell ever since he was tortured by Dowdall in that very home, said in his mind, the disgraced liar and criminal should never have been allowed to sell it. 'I think it's going to be very, very hard to sell it. Regardless of who buys it will always have that stigma attached to it, that it was the scene of a very violent crime.
'The only way that would ever be properly dispersed is if you raised it to the ground,' Alexander told us.
'I think he shouldn't be allowed to sell it. It should be seized and a portion of the value of the property should go to the courts for his wasting of everyone's time as a State witness. Secondly it should go towards compensating his victims, whether it's me or whoever else he's done an injustice to,' he added. Asked if he was saying he felt the State should gift him some of the proceeds of Dowdall's home Alexander said: 'Absolutely. But of course I know that's not going to happen.'
High quality pictures and video of the interior of Dowdall's home, including of the garage he tortured Alexander in were available for potential buyers to view online - but for the victim himself, those images only brought the horror of what he went through back.
Dowdall and his father Patrick invited Alexander to their home for dinner in January 2015 after trying to sell him a motorbike on DoneDeal - but then claimed they believed he was trying to defraud them - something Alexander vehemently denies to this day.
The pair, who later found themselves caught up in the Regency shooting incident, lured Alexander into the garage, backed him into a swivel chair and subjected him to waterboarding - and threatened to take his life.
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Sources say he could be released any day now - and it will likely happen under the cover of night and at a moments notice. It is believed Dowdall has been admitted into the State's witness protection programme - despite being a disastrous witness for the prosecution in the case against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. He has been housed on a quiet landing of Limerick Prison, where he spends 23 hours a day in his cell - and does not ever mix with the rest of the prison population. Since his incarceration in 2022 to a four year sentence for helping a criminal organisation carry out the murder of David Byrne, Dowdall has been the most high profile prisoner in the system - and security around him has been tight. The home of Jonathan Dowdall has been sold ( Gardai will have the power to take Dowdall out of prison early - with his 'temporary' release then being signed off on by the Irish Prison Service, allowing for him to get out ahead of his scheduled release, and to ensure his safety. It is likely he will then be wizzed off to another country where he will be given new accomodation and a new identity. It will also become illegal overnight to reveal his new identity or location. There remains serious concerns for his safety and that of his family - as gardai believe he has not only made enemies of the Hutch and Kinahan mobs - but dissident republican groups as well. Dowdall, a married father of four, pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of David Byrne in September of 2022. He ultimately accepted that he made a room available at the Regency Hotel to the Hutch gang which was used later that night by one of the gunmen - 'Flat Cap' Kevin Murray during the now infamous shooting on February 5, 2016. He had originally been charged with the murder of David Byrne - but that charge was dramatically dropped and he was able to plead to the lesser charge. That became the subject of controversy during the trial of Gerry Hutch, in which Dowdall turned State witness and gave evidence to the court over the course of a week. The witness was repeatedly challenged by Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan about the exact circumstances of how that charge was dropped, and whether he was only willing to give evidence against the accused if that occurred. Dowdall's involvement in the operation also came under intense scrutiny - from the secretly recorded conversation he had with Hutch in which he implied a significant amount of criminality - to his allegation that the accused had confessed to the murder of David Byrne to him in a park in Whitehall - days after the shooting. His evidence was ultimately thrown out by the three judges of the Special Criminal Court - who ruled that Gerry Hutch was not guilty of the murder of David Byrne. 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