A Garda investigation into the murder of the brother of crime gang leader Gerry Hutch is “ongoing” and has been “advanced” in recent months, an inquest has heard.
A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Tuesday into the fatal shooting of Eddie Hutch outside his home in Dublin’s north inner city over eight years ago heard there had been further correspondence between gardaí and the DPP over the murder investigation since a previous hearing of the case last March.
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 8th, 2016.
Gardaí believe Mr Hutch was shot in retaliation for the brutal murder of David Byrne – a senior member of the Kinahan drugs cartel – during an attack on a boxing weigh-in ceremony at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall, Dublin three days earlier.
Gangland feud
That killing sparked a bloody gangland feud between the rival Hutch and Kinahan criminal organisations which has resulted in the deaths of 18 people to date.
The Kinahan gang believe the attack on the Regency Hotel was planned by crime gang leader Gerry Hutch – known as “The Monk” – as revenge for the killing of his nephew, Gary Hutch, in Spain in September 2015.
Eddie Hutch was the first of six people associated with the Hutch gang to be murdered by the Kinahan cartel in 2016 in the aftermath of the murder of Mr Byrne.
Gardaí believe the victim, who was not involved in his brother’s criminal organisation, was targeted by members of the Kinahan gang solely because he was the brother of Gerry Hutch, who had gone into hiding immediately after the Regency Hotel shooting.
It is understood the intended prime target of the attack was Daniel Kinahan, son of international drug gang boss, Christy Kinahan Senior, who escaped from the incident unharmed.
Last March, gardaí revealed at an earlier sitting of the inquest that three “persons of interest” who were identified from their investigation into the murder of Mr Hutch had fled Ireland shortly after the fatal shooting and had never returned.
Although not named in the coroner’s court, it is understood one of the individuals regarded by gardaí as a suspect is Daniel Kinahan.
The 47-year-old crime gang leader, who currently operates from a base in Dubai, is believed to be one of 10 people that gardaí have recommended be charged with offences related to the killing of Mr Hutch.
The inquest previously heard that gardaí had conducted some 1,300 investigative tasks including the taking of 500 statements as part of the murder investigation.
CCTV
Garda sources have indicated that Daniel Kinahan was allegedly caught on CCTV near Eddie Hutch’s home in the days before the murder as tensions threatened to spiral out of control after the fatal shooting in the Regency.
Gardaí confirmed last March that a file on the murder of Mr Hutch had been forwarded to the DPP.
At the latest sitting of the inquest, Inspector James Clavin told coroner, Clare Keane, that the Garda investigation into the murder was “ongoing” and had “advanced” since the previous hearing six months ago.
No relatives of the deceased attended the corner’s court but Insp Clavin confirmed members of the Hutch family were aware of the sitting and the status of the investigation.
The coroner granted an application by Insp Clavin for a six-month adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (1) of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings are being considered.
Dr Keane listed the case for further mention on March 19, 2025.
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.
In April 2023, Gerry Hutch was found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel following a 52-day non-jury trial before the Special Criminal Court.
