Jason Hutch, the son of veteran criminal and failed election candidate Gerry Hutch, has been remanded in custody after extradition from Spain to face trial for facilitating organised crime.
Jason Jamie Murphy (37), also known as Jason Hutch, of The Paddocks, Clontarf, Dublin 3, was returned by the Government’s Dassault Falcon 6X aircraft from Arrecife Airport in Lanzarote on Thursday afternoon.
He had been in custody in Spain since April after his detention on foot of a European arrest warrant.
After touchdown in Baldonnell, gardaí arrested him just after 5pm and brought him to Clondalkin station to charge him under section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
READ MORE
Hutch arrived at the Central Criminal Courts of Justice shortly before 6.40pm to appear before Judge Conor Fottrell at a special late sitting of Dublin District Court.
Although he consulted a lawyer before facing court, he was unrepresented at the hearing because solicitors are on strike over legal aid reforms.
He was remanded in custody as the prosecution is under organised crime legislation and can seek bail only in the High Court.
Hutch is accused of participating in or contributing to activities intended to facilitate the commission of a serious crime by a criminal organisation or any of its members.
These actions allegedly took place at an unknown location between April 12th, 2016, and September 29th, 2021, while he resided in Lanzarote.
The offence carries a 15-year sentence on conviction.
In evidence, Det Sgt Robert Madden of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told the court the accused made no reply when charged and cautioned.
He said the District Court issued an arrest warrant for the accused on March 31st last.
He is to appear at Cloverhill District Court on September 17th via video link but has yet to indicate a plea.
He interacted briefly with the judge to confirm he understood what was outlined and the charge.
The judge referred to the solicitors’ strike and Hutch confirmed that he needed to obtain legal representation but added: “I have not been able to.”
He said he wanted Dublin law firm Ferrys Solicitors to act for him before he left court to await transfer to prison.
Hutch had earlier been charged in relation to serious organised crime offences following his extradition from Lanzarote
The Director of Public Prosecutions directed that he should be charged after an investigation by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation into alleged ties between those allegedly involved in crime in Dublin and current and former members of An Garda Síochána.
Hutch has never been charged with an offence. While he faces criminal allegations after the inquiry, no findings have been made against him or anyone else investigated as part of that investigation.
He had fought the extradition request but lost his final appeal. Consequently, all that remained to be decided was the date of his departure to Dublin.
The jet, flown by an Air Corps crew, left Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co Dublin, just after 9am on Thursday and arrived in Lanzarote just over three hours later.
