Jonathan Dowdall puts home at centre of notorious trial up for sale as he prepares to go into witness protection

Disgraced former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall has put his infamous home on the market for almost €800,000.

The revamped house is for sale as Dowdall nears the end of his prison sentence for his role in facilitating the Regency Hotel murder.

The Dublin home on the Navan Road, described as ‘wonderfully presented and in turn-key condition’, has been put on the market to help fund his secret new life in witness protection abroad under a new name and identity, cutting all ties with home.

Ironically, the selling agent’s blurb describes the four-bed semi as perfect for a ‘relaxing escape’.

Some of the rooms in the images featured heavily in the murder trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, who was acquitted of the Regency Hotel murder.

It also has a huge, covered fishpond at the rear, where Dowdall collected expensive oriental fish such as koi.

When the house was raided in 2016 as part of the investigation into the Regency murder, a Garda Diving Unit searched the pond for guns.

Photographs of the kitchen, where Dowdall met an innocent man who he believed was trying to scam him, can also be seen on property sales websites.

In January 2015, Dowdall blindfolded Alex Hurley and took him into the garage before waterboarding him and threatening to have him killed during an eight-hour torture session.

Both Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Mr Hurley on January 15, 2015, at an address at Navan Road, to detaining him without his consent, and to threatening to kill him.

In June of 2017, Jonathan Dowdall was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Patrick Dowdall to eight years.

The advert describes the kitchen as having ‘plenty of natural light and additional worktop space, perfect for all of your culinary needs’.

It adds: ‘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.’

During the Regency trial, he was quizzed about how he could afford such a luxurious home as an electrician. Dowdall claimed he bought his first house in his 20s with money saved and the proceeds of a compensation claim.

Dowdall is now approaching the end of a four-year jail sentence he received for facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel.

He has been kept in a high-security unit by the Irish Prison Service, for his protection from other gang members.

Following his expected release next year, Dowdall will go into the Witness Security Programme. Although the exact figure is not known, there are probably just a few dozen people in the programme.