Surrounded by around 40 reporters and photographers, Gerry Hutch strolled out the front doors of the Criminal Courts of Justice, a free man.
Just around 20 minutes beforehand The Monk had remained stoney-eyed as Ms Justice Tara Burns delivered a not guilty verdict. At the time, he was sitting alongside Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney – who had been convicted of assisting the Hutch gang in carrying out the Regency Hotel hit.
For the previous 52 days of his trial, Hutch had been brought in and out of court from Wheatfield Prison. But on this 53rd and final occasion, rather than being flanked into the precincts with prison officers, he got to walk out the front door of the court like every other person who was in there to observe the judgement.
