Gerry Hutch appears in court charged with Regency Hotel murder

Dubliner Gerry Hutch has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.

The 58-year-old appeared before the court in Dublin after his extradition from Spain earlier on Wednesday.

Wearing a white shirt and cream blazer, brown trousers and black shoes, and having grown his hair and a beard since he was last photographed in Spain just over one month ago, Mr Hutch only spoke one word, "yes", during the hearing to confirm his name.

Presiding judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, set a trial date of October 3rd, 2022, and the court was told the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed the trial take place before the Special Criminal Court, which sits without a jury.

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Mr Hutch was remanded in custody until Friday, October 15th.

Det Supt Paul Scott of Ballymun Garda station told the court he arrested Mr Hutch at 7.12pm on Wednesday at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co Dublin. The court was told Mr Hutch was taken to the Courts of Criminal Justice in Dublin city where Det Supt Scott charged him with the murder of Mr Byrne at the Regency Hotel, Swords Road, north Dublin, on February 5th, 2016.

Det Supt Scott added he informed Mr Hutch the DPP had directed his trial would be heard before the Special Criminal Court.

Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Hutch, said his client was “reserving his position” in relation to the charge, the jurisdiction of the court and “the unlawfulness of his arrest”. He also informed the court Mr Hutch was vaccinated against Covid-19 and has passed tests for the virus on Tuesday while still in Spain.

Mr Hutch left Ireland 5½ years ago as a feud erupted in Dublin involving the Kinahan crime gang.

The charges he now faces arise from a feud-related attack targeting members of the Kinahan cartel at a boxing tournament weigh-in at the Regency Hotel, north Dublin, in February, 2016.

Daniel Kinahan, the man previously named in the High Court as the leader of the Kinahan cartel, was the target of the group of gunmen who burst into the hotel and opened fire. However, he fled to safety on foot.

Kinahan associate David Byrne (34), from Crumlin, was shot dead and a number of other men were wounded but survived.

Mr Hutch was arrested in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol last month on foot of a European arrest warrant granted by the courts in Dublin earlier this year. That warrant was issued after the DPP decided Mr Hutch should face charges relating to the Regency attack.

Mr Hutch, who is from Dublin’s north inner city but had lived with his family for many years in Clontarf, was traced to Fuengirola, where he was arrested just over one month ago. He has been in custody in Madrid since his detention.

A ruling by the Spanish courts last week effectively rejected his efforts to block his extradition to the Republic, clearing the way for his return to Ireland.

He was extradited from Spain to Ireland on Wednesday, in an Irish military aircraft and under Garda escort. Mr Hutch left a Madrid Airport at about 2.30pm on Wednesday and the aircraft landed at Casement Aerodrome in west Dublin at about 7pm.

Once on Irish soil he was arrested by the Garda on foot of a domestic arrest warrant and taken across the city in a convoy of Garda vehicles for his court appearance.