DUBLIN CRIMINAL Derek Hutch has been jailed for 10 years after he was caught with a loaded gun and silencer “ready for use” and for his role in an organised ring stealing high-powered motorbikes for resale.
Hutch a 25-year-old father of one originally from Champions Avenue in Dublin’s north inner city, was wearing two sets of clothes, a pair of gloves and was hooded when he was found by gardaí with the loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Judge Desmond Hogan suspended two years of the combined 10-year sentences because of the evidence before the court relating to Hutch’s “chronic” cocaine addiction.
However, Judge Hogan said: “The court cannot ignore the situation that pertains in this city because of guns, and the absolute tragic circumstances that prevail because of the profusion of guns over the past number of years.” Hutch, who is known as “Del Boy”, had been caught with “an extremely violent weapon”.
Det Insp Kevin Dolan of Store Street Garda station told the court that in August 2009 gardaí had put a surveillance operation in place with Hutch as the target.
On the night of August 2nd a man cycling a yellow bicycle and carrying a bag was seen going into Croke Villas flats in Sackville Avenue in Ballybough.
A few minutes later Hutch came out of the complex on the bike.When Hutch stopped briefly at a bus shelter gardaí moved in. Hutch fled on the bicycle.
Det Garda Wayne Kelly saw Hutch carrying a semi-automatic pistol with silencer fitted in his right hand.
He chased Hutch, who then fell off the bicycle as Det Garda Kelly caught up with him, tackled him and arrested him. Det Garda Kelly recovered Hutch’s gloves, mobile phone and the gun. The safety catch was off on the gun, it was cocked for shooting and had a round in the breech and six other bullets loaded.
Hutch later gave a false name during questioning and “adopted a position of no comment”.
When the issue of the gun was put to him, Hutch replied: “Load of b****x.”
“We could take that as a denial,” Remy Farrell, for the DPP, told Judge Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
A letter written by Hutch apologising for his crimes was handed in to the judge yesterday. The court was also given written representations on Hutch’s behalf from well known social campaigner Fr Peter McVerry.
Det Insp Doyle said Hutch had 25 previous convictions, including one for drugs, dealt with by the Children’s Court. He had another conviction under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, for which he was jailed for two years, and other convictions for criminal damage, motoring offences, obstruction of gardaí and public order.
Judge Hogan sentenced him to seven years on the firearms offence. He also sentenced him to a consecutive three-year term for a range of theft and motoring offences also before the court yesterday. Hutch was out on bail for the various motoring and theft offences when he was caught with the gun.
Three theft counts before the courts yesterday related to Hutch’s role in an organised crime ring stealing motorcycles for resale. The bikes were described by Sgt Oliver Henry in his evidence as “at the very top end of the range”.
Some of the bikes were stolen from outside offices in the Citywest area of Dublin.