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Sunday World
11-07-2025
- Sunday World
Supergrass witness Jonathan Dowdall's former home is sold
The house on Dublin's Navan Road was placed on the market last month with a price tag of €795,000 A sold sign has now appeared in the front garden Some of the features of the Dublin home Johnathan Dowdall and his former home in Dublin The stunning €795,000 house on Navan Road, Dublin, had initially been placed on the market in June 2024 and appeared to have been sold. However, it reappeared on the market in April with the same asking price as before. It now appears to have sold once again with a sign appearing in the front garden, as a new owner is set to take over the four bed four-bed family home. It has been described as 'wonderfully presented' and in turnkey condition. 'The south facing garden is beautifully landscaped, featuring a large fishpond, an oriental inspired haven perfect for entertaining or a relaxing escape. Johnathan Dowdall and his former home in Dublin News in 90 Seconds - July 11th An advert for the house describes it as having a spacious hallway with marble tiles throughout, a large and cosy living room with an open fireplace. 'The kitchen has been extended, boasting plenty of natural light and additional worktop space, perfect for all of your culinary needs. 'A spacious garage provides secure parking for your vehicles and additional storage space, along with a home office space or can be used as an additional living room. Each of the four bedrooms has built-in wardrobes, and the attic has been converted into a multi-purpose living space. It also comes with double glazed windows, gas fired central heating and crucially for the former Sinn Fein councillor turned mobster, a large cobble lock driveway with security gates. The luxurious home, which is on sale for a bargain price, featured heavily in the murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. In particular, the back garden fish-pond, where gardai searched for firearms following the 2016 Regency Hotel slaying of David Byrne. The airy kitchen is the location where Dowdall blindfolded innocent man Alex Hurley who he believed was trying to con him out of a motorcycle he was selling. Hurley was then dragged to the garage where he was water-boarded and threatened during an eight-hour torture session. Dowdall and his father Patrick later admitted at the Special Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning and threatening to kill Alexander Hurley in January 2015, before being jailed for 12 and eight years respectively. Jonathan Dowdall is nearing the end of his prison sentence for his role in the murder of David Byrne in February 2016 and is set to join the Witness Protection Programme when he is released. The sale of the home will fund his new life and relocation which will see him set up in a foreign country with the same means he had while living in Ireland. Some of the features of the Dublin home The Dubliner was originally due to go on trial alongside Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch for the murder of David Byrne, but the charge was dropped when he pleaded guilty to facilitating the killing and agreed to testify against his former co-accused. Dowdall gave evidence during the murder trial at the Special Criminal Court, which saw Hutch walk free when he was found not guilty. Ms Justice Burns dismissed Dowdall's credibility as a witness in her lengthy judgement, saying 'he acted out of self-interest' and the court was 'not prepared to act on his statement alone'. Dowdall was sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder the day before Hutch's trial began in 2022.
The Journal
04-07-2025
- The Journal
Analysis: MV Matthew seizure was a major success ... but Irish appetite for cocaine remains
THERE IS LITTLE doubt that the taking of the MV Matthew was a huge success story for Irish law enforcement agencies and the Irish military – it was the proof of a concept that had been promised by state agencies for decades. The operation that led to the capture of the vessel, along with its haul of cocaine worth some €157 million, came about through sharing of information among a raft of Irish and international law enforcement and military agencies. It demonstrated how, when it comes to large-scale crackdowns on drug trafficking, the haphazard approach of old, hoping that touts will inform the gardaí is now a lottery of the past. Operation Piano – as the operation was called – was as sophisticated as it can be, with an international web of agencies all working together. The success of the operation, as those working in the drug policy sector explain in further detail later in this piece, must however be balanced against the reality that the demand for cocaine is apparently as high as ever. Supply is also keeping up with that demand too – a point underscored by the fact that the street price of a bag of cocaine has not wavered from the standard €80 in recent years. Earlier today, eight men from Ukraine, Britain and Iran, were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 20 years to 13 and a half years. All were relative bit players in a much larger drama and, speaking after the sentencing, gardaí have vowed to continue their investigation to bring to justice those who directed the operation across the globe. The road to successes like today's has been a long one for gardaí, customs and the military – incremental modernisation, although on a slow drip basis, has come to fruition in the fight against organised crime. The birth of the Joint Task Force in which all of the agencies named above work as a group in largescale drugs interdictions is key. No competing agencies, everyone pulling in the same direction. Often it takes a disaster to move State agencies forward. In many respects the failure to stop the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan lieutenant David Byrne by members of the Hutch gang was a key catalyst. The resulting feud between the Kinahans and the Hutches enough to bring State cheque books out of locked safes. This was the moment of realisation for those who control policy and funding to wake up to the reality that they could not fund policing on the cheap. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), empowered and adequately financed in the wake of that incident is also key. One of the senior officers leading the operation went back to college in its wake and studied a masters in the law of the sea. This is not just about the experience of dealing myopically with criminals in Ireland – the police fighting this are educating themselves to a high standard and linking up with other like-minded professionals across the globe. The European and UK-backed initiative of MAOC-N based Lisbon, Portugal is key to their analysing of the minute movements of suspect ships. The agency was set up almost two decades ago specifically to tackle illicit drug trafficking on the seas around Europe. The Defence Forces has a long history of successful seabourne interdictions – arresting IRA gun runners and drug gangs. But the difference with Operation Piano was the truly joint operational nature of it. Many moving parts, all advancing in the same direction. There were years, for instance, of perfecting flying experience for Irish Air Corps pilots, with their expert personnel taking learnings from international partners at training and airshow events abroad. But the elephant in the room must get a mention too. The reality is the Air Corps and Navy are struggling with poor resourcing and a staffing crisis. The men and women of the Defence Forces achieved their side of the tale in spite of those funding shortfalls. The Journal has got unprecedented access to the elite Army Ranger Win g in the past as they practiced the very mission and manoeuvres they used to take the MV Matthew. But they too have been on a journey, now with better kit, tactics and a professional structure of enablers and support that rivals special forces units abroad. Acting as a buttress, behind it all, the State has instituted robust legislation to fight organised crime. The 2016 Criminal Justice Act carried with it sections around the prosecution of people for facilitating and participating in the activities of crime gangs. For the sailors, air crew, special forces operators and law enforcement officers this was a professional triumph – a moment they have spent their professional lives building towards. Advertisement A Ranger Wing operator approaches a cargo ship in an exercise off the East Coast. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces The burden of policy Often there is a pejorative public discourse that takes the work of those managing the counter narcotics operations as something to be sneered at. Social media posts and public pronouncements by supposed experts speak about those endeavours as pointless. The gardaí and international law enforcement officers we spoke to have said that they see their efforts being about dealing with the international criminals who are profiting from the sale and supply of drugs such as cocaine. For them it is not a war on drugs but a war on organised crime. All say that their view is that the MV Matthew is just one step forward in a strategy to make Ireland as unattractive as possible for the cartels and to make sure they land their contraband elsewhere. The more Operation Pianos that are successful the better for that strategy and there has been substantial success. Several people remain before the courts after operations in Foynes, Wexford and west Cork. The difficulty is that is a long term strategy. The price of a bag of coke, generally around €80 has not dropped. Seizures are occuring on a regular basis across the State in communities both big and small, urban and rural. Many experts, both here and abroad, are advocating for a more nuanced approach. That organised crime groups would continue to be targeted but that their customers, when confronted by the State, would be offered a chance to avoid a criminal conviction in return for participation in a dissuasion system. The Journal has visited such a system in Portugal . Ireland is considering a similar approach. Some of those ideas have already arrived here and the services are beginning to move to a more holistic medical approach. Tony Duffin, formerly of Dublin's Ana Liffey Project and now a consultant working in drug policy, said the broad issue is that reports from European agencies show that more people than ever are using cocaine. Duffin, who worked with people suffering with addiction issues on the streets of Dublin, said that the recreational use of cocaine powder is one issue. He said the use of crack cocaine by heroin addicts to make a powerful concoction known as a 'speedball' is another. Duffin said drug dealers are reducing the price of these drugs to capture the custom of more of those vulnerable drug users. 'The price of cocaine powder is stable but the crack cocaine price fluctuated – not because of a shift in supply but because of the business model,' he said. 'The guards and customs are working really, really hard. No one is slacking here. It's just that it's in the face of a multi billion dollar industry. 'It's a complex issue. There's no silver bullet. There's no simple answer or simple explanation. 'It requires quite a complex response in many ways, although, really, at the end of the day, the health education approach is simply moving the response to drug use to the health side of the house, rather than the criminal justice side of the house,' he added. Duffin said the general accepted success rate of drugs captures is between one and ten percent for the shipments captured – that is at least 90% of drugs shipped to Ireland get through. Garda sources we spoke to believe the figures is somewhere around 5% for the shipments they catch. The MV Matthew berthed in Cobh, Co Cork. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Regardless of the policy side of the house the Joint Task Force has had further success this week. On Wednesday the initiative saw a huge capture of half a tonne or €31m worth of cocaine by gardaí, assisted by the Defence Forces and Customs. The hope is, among those involved in the operations here and abroad, that the more big shows they succeed on, the more likely it is that the problem will move elsewhere and away from Ireland. The issue is that the recreational appetite for the white powder will still remain. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘The Monk is sophisticated enough, he likes his Eggs Benedict' – ‘Crime World' host Nicola Tallant on Gerry Hutch's eating habits
The podcaster reveals she met him for the face-to-face conversation over a dinner of halloumi burgers and chicken wings, before the November election. The broadcaster, who is this week's guest on the Under the Grill podcast, said: 'There was no coddle or any of this sort of stuff, even though you think he's such a traditional Dub, don't you? 'I'd say he has better taste than you and I. He's floating around the Mediterranean and he has probably eaten very nicely. He ordered a haloumi burger, and I, embarrassingly, had chicken wings. What an amateur I am. 'He is sophisticated enough – he like his Eggs Benedict. 'I did meet him in town over the course of the general election and he had an old-fashioned Irish breakfast at lunchtime.' Hutch walked free from the Special Criminal Court in 2023 after the State unsuccessfully sought to prosecute him for his involvement in a gun attack at the Regency Hotel in 2016. He is currently under investigation by authorities in Spain for alleged money laundering. He narrowly missed out on securing a Dáil seat in last year's general election. Ms Tallant said: 'He is quite distinguished looking: he's unusual looking and he had kind of shaved his beard, and he has those sharky eyes. 'The day he came out of prison, he had the full beard and looked like something from Castaway. ADVERTISEMENT 'It just added to the whole drama of everything when he walked free that day. He has differing styles and I don't think he has worn the beard since then. But he's an interesting character. 'The Monk interview was a mega success with our listeners. There are comedy sketches about him now. 'His voice is so funny. He shocks you in a funny way when he speaks. He does have a star quality: for a criminal, he does have some charisma. 'The Monk interview is the biggest that was ever broadcast in Ireland. If you look at the figures properly, they're up there with the Joe Rogan [podcast]. 'It's off the scale. On YouTube alone, before we hit the audio figures, there's about 1.4 million. You can double that for listeners.' Ms Tallant joined Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young in the Under the Grill kitchen to chat about her dad's roast chicken dinner. In Under the Grill, Ireland's best loved personalities choose a dish from their childhood and Kevin Dundon cooks it up in his kitchen alongside Caoimhe Young. Under the Grill is available to watch on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sunday World
29-06-2025
- Sunday World
Missing poker player lost €4k within hours of his arrival in Dublin, gardaí say
Investigation remains open after officers visit Iceland to interview people who knew the father of four Gardaí investigating the disappearance of Icelandic poker player Jon Jonsson 'haven't ruled anything out', including murder, suicide or an accident, according to the senior officer leading the probe. Mr Jonsson, a taxi driver, went missing on February 9, 2019, while attending the Dublin Poker Festival at the Regency Hotel (now renamed the Bonnington Hotel) on the northside of the city. Detective Superintendent Alan Brady led a delegation of five members of An Garda Síochána to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, last week to interview 46 people who knew the father of four. Among those interviewed were convicted criminals, as well as the missing man's family, friends and associates in the poker world. Gambling is illegal in Iceland, and Mr Jonsson was heavily involved in the scene in his homeland. Det Supt Brady, who is attached to Ballymun garda station, said: 'We formally interviewed 46 people. We will now go home and assess all the information we received, which was worthwhile for the investigation. 'We interviewed Jon's friends, family members and poker players. We interviewed some convicted criminals who knew him. There has been a lot of rumour about what happened to Jon in Dublin — that his death was linked to the poker community here. Even rumours of a hitman. Gardaí say they haven't ruled anything out 'We believe that whatever happened to Jon, happened in Ireland. But we also think that the answers to what happened to him lie among the Icelandic community.' The senior officer said the investigation remains open and has not been upgraded to homicide. 'We haven't ruled anything out. We're still looking at everything from murder, to suicide or an accident of some kind,' he added. Mr Jonsson's fiancee Kristjana Gudjonsdottir had arrived in Dublin just a few hours before he disappeared, having missed the first day of the poker tournament. Gardaí searched Santry Demesne last year after receiving anonymous letters regarding Jon Jonsson. Photo: Frank McGrath He left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was seen on camera by CCTV 200 metres away. Beyond that image, no trace of him has ever been uncovered, despite several intensive searches and gardaí following up more than 350 lines of enquiry. The 41-year-old did lose some money while playing poker in Dublin, but not a significant amount, Det Supt Brady said. 'Jon was playing poker in games where the buy-in was about €500. We believe he lost between €3,000 and €4,000. We've also established that the money he lost was sent over within a few hours from people in the poker scene in Iceland,' he said. 'It has been suggested to us by people that he could have come to some harm by people involved in criminality. We've followed up every avenue and there are lots of theories.' Gardaí also spoke to Mr Jonsson's family in Reykjavik. The family had previously criticised aspects of the garda investigation. 'We had meetings with some members of the family and also interviewed some of them. We built bridges. They have gone through huge heartbreak for the past six years. No family should have to go through that. We are here to try and get answers for them,' Det Supt Brady said. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class' 'Jon was a nice guy. He wouldn't harm a fly. He was a very big man but not an aggressive man. He was not an angry person. It doesn't appear feasible to us that he would have gotten into a fight.' Det Supt Brady praised the assistance gardaí received from the Icelandic police. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class. We sent a list to the Icelandic police investigators of the people we wanted to speak with, and we carried out 46 formal interviews out of the 58 people we identified,' he said. Missing Icelandic man Jon Jonsson News in 90 Seconds - June 28th The Sunday Independent previously reported about how an imprisoned criminal in Iceland played an 'instrumental' role in communicating a dramatic version of events to Icelandic police — which, it was claimed, culminated in the murder of the taxi driver. In 2020, police in Iceland were told that Mr Jonsson was killed 'by accident' by a fellow countryman, after a falling out over squandered gambling money. His family, meanwhile, believe he may have been murdered by a paid hitman in a case of mistaken identity. It is being examined whether this potential hitman intended to target a different Icelandic man who was visiting Ireland at the time. In April, gardaí in Dublin carried out four new searches with cadaver dogs. This followed the receipt of new information, after RTÉ aired a podcast series on Mr Jonsson's disappearance. 'I would still appeal to anyone who attended that poker tournament, or with any information, to come forward to gardaí or the Icelandic police,' Det Supt Brady said.
Irish Independent
29-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Missing Icelandic poker player Jon Jonsson lost €4,000 within hours of his arrival in Dublin, gardaí say
Mr Jonsson, a taxi driver, went missing on February 9, 2019, while attending the Dublin Poker Festival at the Regency Hotel (now renamed the Bonnington Hotel) on the northside of the city. Detective Superintendent Alan Brady led a delegation of five members of An Garda Síochána to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, last week to interview 46 people who knew the father of four. Among those interviewed were convicted criminals, as well as the missing man's family, friends and associates in the poker world. Gambling is illegal in Iceland, and Mr Jonsson was heavily involved in the scene in his homeland. Det Supt Brady, who is attached to Ballymun garda station, said: 'We formally interviewed 46 people. We will now go home and assess all the information we received, which was worthwhile for the investigation. 'We interviewed Jon's friends, family members and poker players. We interviewed some convicted criminals who knew him. There has been a lot of rumour about what happened to Jon in Dublin — that his death was linked to the poker community here. Even rumours of a hitman. Gardaí say they haven't ruled anything out 'We believe that whatever happened to Jon, happened in Ireland. But we also think that the answers to what happened to him lie among the Icelandic community.' The senior officer said the investigation remains open and has not been upgraded to homicide. 'We haven't ruled anything out. We're still looking at everything from murder, to suicide or an accident of some kind,' he added. Mr Jonsson's fiancee Kristjana Gudjonsdottir had arrived in Dublin just a few hours before he disappeared, having missed the first day of the poker tournament. He left the hotel on foot at about 11am and was seen on camera by CCTV 200 metres away. Beyond that image, no trace of him has ever been uncovered, despite several intensive searches and gardaí following up more than 350 lines of enquiry. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The 41-year-old did lose some money while playing poker in Dublin, but not a significant amount, Det Supt Brady said. 'Jon was playing poker in games where the buy-in was about €500. We believe he lost between €3,000 and €4,000. We've also established that the money he lost was sent over within a few hours from people in the poker scene in Iceland,' he said. 'It has been suggested to us by people that he could have come to some harm by people involved in criminality. We've followed up every avenue and there are lots of theories.' Gardaí also spoke to Mr Jonsson's family in Reykjavik. The family had previously criticised aspects of the garda investigation. 'We had meetings with some members of the family and also interviewed some of them. We built bridges. They have gone through huge heartbreak for the past six years. No family should have to go through that. We are here to try and get answers for them,' Det Supt Brady said. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class' 'Jon was a nice guy. He wouldn't harm a fly. He was a very big man but not an aggressive man. He was not an angry person. It doesn't appear feasible to us that he would have gotten into a fight.' Det Supt Brady praised the assistance gardaí received from the Icelandic police. 'It is a joint investigation and the co-operation has been top class. We sent a list to the Icelandic police investigators of the people we wanted to speak with, and we carried out 46 formal interviews out of the 58 people we identified,' he said. The Sunday Independent previously reported about how an imprisoned criminal in Iceland played an 'instrumental' role in communicating a dramatic version of events to Icelandic police — which, it was claimed, culminated in the murder of the taxi driver. In 2020, police in Iceland were told that Mr Jonsson was killed 'by accident' by a fellow countryman, after a falling out over squandered gambling money. His family, meanwhile, believe he may have been murdered by a paid hitman in a case of mistaken identity. It is being examined whether this potential hitman intended to target a different Icelandic man who was visiting Ireland at the time. In April, gardaí in Dublin carried out four new searches with cadaver dogs. This followed the receipt of new information, after RTÉ aired a podcast series on Mr Jonsson's disappearance. 'I would still appeal to anyone who attended that poker tournament, or with any information, to come forward to gardaí or the Icelandic police,' Det Supt Brady said.
