One of the getaway drivers in the Regency Hotel attack during which Kinahan Cartel member David Byrne was killed has suffered a stroke while serving his prison sentence, a court has heard.
Jason Bonney (55) and his co-accused Paul Murphy (64) were tried alongside Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch at the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court in 2022. Hutch was acquitted of the murder of David Byrne, but Bonney and Murphy were convicted of facilitating the rival Hutch criminal organisation in carrying out the murder.
Both men’s appeals against their convictions were dismissed by the Court of Appeal in November and their lawyers indicated at that stage that the two men planned to go ahead with appeals against their respective sentences.
Bonney and Murphy’s cases were listed before the Court of Appeal president, Ms Justice Caroline Costello, on Friday, where she was due to fix a hearing date for the severity appeals.
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However, when the matter was called on, a barrister acting on behalf of Bonney said he was seeking one further mention date for his client. He told the court Bonney has had a stroke since going into custody and his legal team are seeking a medical report from the treating consultant. He said once that was obtained, the legal team would then be in a position to seek a hearing date.
Murphy’s barrister told the court that both accused have been in custody since April 2023. She noted their conviction appeal has already been heard and dismissed. The lawyer said submissions in relation to Murphy’s sentence appeal have been filed and his legal team are seeking a hearing date “as soon as possible”.
“We are in a position to proceed so we are asking that a date is fixed,” she said.
However, Ms Justice Costello said she thought it preferable that the matters be dealt with together.
She said if Bonney has had a stroke and this was relevant to the case, then information was needed from the treating doctor. She asked what progress had been made in this regard.
Bonney’s barrister said the team have not yet been able to identify who Bonney’s treating consultant was despite “significant efforts”. He said as their client is in custody, it had been difficult to get the relevant authorisation. He sought a mention date in February.
Ms Justice Costello said she appreciated that trying to get information from a hospital in the latter half of December was “probably not an easy task” when it comes to someone who is in custody. She said she would list the matter for mention on January 23rd, 2026, to see what progress had been made at that stage.
David Byrne (33) was shot and killed during a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel 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.
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 8½ years for the same offence. They had both pleaded not guilty.
