An inquest into the murder of a nephew of Gerry “The Monk” Hutch heard nobody has been charged in relation to his death, despite over 450 lines of inquiry having been investigated by gardai.
Derek Coakley Hutch, 27, a father of two from Buckingham Street in Dublin’s north inner city, was shot dead as he sat in a car at a halting site in Clondalkin on January 20, 2018.
The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, told a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court that full details about the Garda investigation would not be heard as the circumstances of Mr Hutch’s death were still a live criminal case.
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Dr Gallagher said no evidence would be disclosed which could possibly prejudice any future criminal proceedings.
Detective Inspector Niamh Molloy told the inquest that Mr Hutch had arrived in a vehicle with two other males at the Bridgeview halting site on the Cloverhill Road at around 3pm.
The scene was close to Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons.
Det Insp Molloy said the two other men exited the car, while the deceased remained in the vehicle.
She said another vehicle then pulled up alongside the car in which Mr Hutch was sitting.
Shots were fired from this vehicle causing the injuries to the victim.
Although emergency services arrived at the halting site within minutes of the alarm being raised, Mr Hutch was pronounced dead at the scene.
Det Insp Molloy said the vehicle used for the attack was found burnt out a short distance away.
The inquest heard gardai had followed up 451 different lines of inquiry as part of their investigation into Mr Hutch’s murder as well as taking 340 statements and collecting 400 exhibits.
Det Insp Molloy said a CCTV system had captured both vehicles entering the halting site but the “grainy” quality of the pictures did not allow any individuals in the cars to be identified.
Footage also showed the second vehicle rapidly leaving the scene after the fatal shooting.
Det Insp Molloy said the two other males who had arrived with Mr Hutch were “doing something else”, while no eyewitnesses to the shooting were found despite it being a “pretty populated” area.
She said a file had been forwarded to the DPP in relation to two individuals but a decision was taken that no criminal prosecutions should follow.
Mark Toner, a paramedic who provided emergency aid to the victim, said Mr Hutch had suffered multiple traumatic injuries to his head with a major loss of blood.
The inquest heard efforts to resuscitate Mr Hutch were ceased after 10 minutes when he showed no signs of life.
He was formally pronounced dead at 5.08pm.
The chief state pathologist, Linda Mulligan, described how the results of a post-mortem showed at least three shots had been fired at Mr Hutch.
Dr Mulligan said there were three separate wounds to the head which had caused significant damage to the victim’s skull and brain that were “incompatible with life.”
She said there was a fourth bullet wound in his right forearm which may have ricocheted causing one of the injuries to Mr Hutch’s head.
He had also suffered scratches to his face which the pathologist said was likely to have been caused by shattering glass.
She estimated that the fatal gunshots were fired at a distance of 1-2 metres.
Mr Hutch’s mother, Noeleen, who had formally identified her son’s body to gardai, as well as other female relatives wept openly as they heard details of the post-mortem report and left the hearing briefly after being overcome with grief.
Dr Mulligan said toxicology reports had shown no alcohol or drugs were found in the victim’s body, while he also had no underlying health conditions.
She confirmed that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
Dr Mulligan said any of the gunshot wounds could have been fatal and death would have been “instant.”
A jury of five women and one man returned a verdict of unlawful death by a person or persons unknown.
Mr Hutch is believed to have been the 14 th victim of the gangland feud between the Hutch and Kinahan criminal organisations which began when his cousin, Gary Hutch was shot dead in Spain in 2015.
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