THREE “persons of interest” in the murder probe of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s brother fled Ireland shortly after the fatal shooting and have never returned, an inquest has heard.
Detective Inspector Aidan Flanagan told a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court today that a file on the investigation into the murder of Eddie Hutch outside his home in the north inner city eight years ago was forwarded to the DPP within the past fortnight.
Mr Hutch, 58, a father-of-five and taxi driver from Poplar Row, Ballybough, Dublin 3, sustained a number of fatal gunshot wounds after he was approached by several assailants as he pulled up in his taxi outside his house on February 8, 2016.
A silver BMW 3 series vehicle, which was believed to be the getaway car, was found abandoned a short distance away on St Patrick’s Parade in Drumcondra.
Det Insp Flangan informed coroner Clare Keane on the progress of the case and said some 1,300 investigative tasks including the taking of 500 statements had been carried out by gardai.
The senior detective observed that the investigation into Mr Hutch’s killing had been “quite complex.”
He also said the case had collected 200 exhibits, while “tens of thousands of hours” of CCTV footage had also been examined.
Det Insp Flanagan said: “There was a lot of material to be scrutinised.”
The inquest also heard that a total of 13 people had been arrested as part of the investigation to date.
However, Det Insp Flanagan said three individuals, whom he described as “persons of interest,” had left the jurisdiction shortly after the murder of Mr Hutch.
He added: “They never returned and they never made themselves available for the investigation.”
The Irish Sun understands the three people who have never returned to Ireland are a thug with close links to slain gangster Martin Hyland, a former pal of Gary Hutch and a senior Kinahan cartel member.
Det Insp Flanagan said such issues had added to the difficulties and complexity faced by gardaí leading the investigation.
Under Section 25 (1) of the Coroners Act, he applied for an adjournment of the inquest as criminal proceedings are being considered in the case.
Det Insp Flanagan said Mr Hutch’s family were aware of the application and “understood the position clearly.”
No relatives of the deceased attended the five-minute hearing.
DDP file
Det Insp Flanagan told the coroner that he hoped that gardai would receive a direction from the DPP on the case within the next six months.
Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the hearing for mention to September 24.
The shooting of Mr Hutch took place just three days after a daring attack at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall which sparked a bloody gangland feud between members of the rival Hutch and Kinahan criminal organisations.
During the incident which was carried out by members of the Hutch gang – some of whom posed as gardai – a senior member of the Kinahan cartel, David Byrne, was fatally wounded, although it is believed the intended prime target was Daniel Kinahan, son of international drug gang boss, Christy Kinahan Senior.
Gardai believe Mr Hutch was shot in retaliation for the brutal murder of Byrne and was targeted by members of the Kinahan gang solely because he was the brother of the Monk who had gone into hiding immediately after the shooting of Byrne.
Gang feud
Eddie Hutch was the first of six people associated with the Hutch gang to be murdered by the Kinahan gang in 2016 in the aftermath of the Regency Hotel shooting.
The feud has claimed a total of 18 lives to date since the killing of Gary Hutch almost nine years ago.
Several senior members of the Kinahan cartel left Ireland in the aftermath of the series of gangland murders in 2016 due to the intensity of garda operations to prevent further killings involving the two rival gangs.
Last April, Gerry Hutch was found not guilty of the murder of Byrne following a 52-day non-jury trial before the Special Criminal Court.
