‘Tensions on a knife edge’ after feud gangsters brawl in street
A VOLATILE Dublin criminal was hospitalised over the weekend following a violent street brawl with an associate of the Hutch family.
The dangerous thug – who has been branded a ‘rat’ after aligning himself to the Kinahan cartel – was also arrested for his involvement in the broad-daylight fight on Saturday.
An associate of the Hutch family, aged in his 30s, was also arrested in relation to the incident, which happened on Sean McDermott Street in the city at around 1.45pm.
This individual has been targeted a number of times in knife attacks over the past year, and gardaí believe he was slashed last December by the criminal he fought over the weekend.
The other man – who was previously arrested over the feud murder of Eddie Hutch Snr – was brought to the Mater Hospital for treatment after being released from custody.
Gardaí confirmed that two men were arrested for public order offences and detained at Store Street Garda station, but have since been released without charge.
Members of the Garda Public Order Unit, who were on patrol in the area at the time, were called to the scene to intervene.
A source told the Irish Independent there were serious concerns that the incident will further increase tensions in the north inner-city.
“The cartel associate was brought to hospital, but the main thing that will have hurt him is his ego. Things are already on a knife edge in the north inner-city, as people living in close proximity are on opposite sides of this feud, and this will only make things worse,” the source said.
The Kinahan associate has been accused of being the “eyes and ears” of the cartel in the Hutch mob’s north inner-city heartland since the deadly feud kicked off two years ago, as he has lived there all his life.
He has been the victim of threatening graffiti messages in the past, and the threat against him escalated after he was blamed for a savage knife attack in December on the man he was hospitalised by over the weekend.
He was warned of an official threat on his life in January after gardaí served him with a GIM (Garda Information Message) form.
This was issued to him by detectives after two handguns were seized which gardaí believe were to be used against the thug by the Hutch mob.
He has more than 70 convictions, including for assaulting gardaí and drug dealing.
In February, he was arrested in relation to the feud murder of ‘The Monk’’s brother, Eddie ‘Neddie’ Hutch (59), who was shot dead in February 2016.
At least nine people have been detained by gardaí investigating the Eddie Hutch murder but there have been no charges.
Senior investigators believe that the Hutch/Kinahan feud has so far claimed up to 18 lives, with a number of suspected murder plots also foiled in recent weeks.
They include a suspected attempt to target a member of the Hutch gang late last month. Gardaí believe a firearm recovered in the capital was to be used in an attack on the drug dealer.