Witness wrapped shot Hutch’s body in sheet
A MURDER trial witness has described how he wrapped Gareth Hutch in a sheet after he was shot dead in the car park of a Dublin flats complex.
The Special Criminal Court also heard that the slain man’s cousin, Ross Hutch, held “his hands to his head” and began “screaming hysterically” when he found him fatally injured.
Mr Hutch (36), nephew of Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch, was shot dead as he got into his car outside Avondale House flats on North Cumberland Street in Dublin, on the morning of May 24, 2016.
A brother and sister as well as another man are on trial accused of murdering Mr Hutch. Thomas Fox (31), of Rutland Court, Dublin 1, Regina Keogh (41), of Avondale House, Cumberland Street North, Dublin 1, and Jonathan Keogh (32), of Gloucester Place, Dublin 1, have all pleaded not guilty.
Mr Fox has also denied unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9mm handgun on May 23, 2016, at the same place.
Witness Neville Mills, whose second-floor bedroom overlooked the car park at Avondale House, told prosecution counsel Paul Burns SC that he heard a “commotion” on the morning of the shooting and looked out of his window. “I saw Ross Hutch holding his hands to his head and I think there were two people running out the gate,” he said.
Mr Mills said he went down to the car park and saw Gareth Hutch lying on the ground, fatally injured. He then wrapped him in a sheet.
The court heard yesterday that Ross Hutch arrived at the scene, saw his cousin on the ground and followed the two attackers before turning back.
Another witness, Jim Holmes, told the court that he was walking in the direction of Gardiner Street at 9.50am when he saw two people running in the centre of the road. One of the men was wearing a balaclava, which looked “suspicious”, so he rang 999. The two attackers turned into Champions Avenue and got into a parked silver Skoda Octavia.
Earlier, CCTV of the fatal shooting was shown to the court. Garda Catherine McAteer from Mountjoy garda station said she obtained permission from the area manager of Avondale House to access and download the footage.
The prosecution says the three co-accused each had their own part to play in bringing about the death of Mr Hutch. Mr Keogh was one of the two gunmen, together with another man, who directed the attack. Both he and Mr Fox were “instrumental” in planning and carrying it out, the court heard.
The prosecution contends that the evidence of Mary McDonnell, who had a flat at Avondale House, is “important” in this trial, as the three accused had gathered in her home in the hours before the murder. Her kitchen window had a view into Mr Hutch’s flat.
The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michael Walsh.