Man recalls wrapping Gareth Hutch in sheet after fatal shooting

A man has told a murder trial that he wrapped Gareth Hutch in a sheet after he was shot dead in the car park of a Dublin city flats complex.

Neville Mills also told the court he saw the dead man's cousin, Ross Hutch, hold "his hands to his head" and start "screaming hysterically" after he saw Gareth Hutch had been fatally injured.

Gareth Hutch (36), a nephew of Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch, was shot dead as he got into his car outside Avondale House, North Cumberland Street on May 24th, 2016. A brother and sister as well as another man, all from Dublin 1, are on trial accused of murdering Mr Hutch.

Thomas Fox (31), of Rutland Court; Regina Keogh (41), of Avondale House, North Cumberland Street; and Jonathan Keogh (32), of Gloucester Place, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Hutch. Mr Fox also denies unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9mm handgun on May 23rd, 2016 at the same location.

Mr Mills, whose second-floor bedroom overlooked the carpark, in Avondale House, told prosecution counsel Paul Burns that he heard a “commotion” on the morning of the alleged murder and looked out his bedroom window.

“I saw Ross Hutch holding his hands to his head and I think there was two people running out the gate,” he said.

Mr Mills said he went down to the carpark and saw Gareth Hutch lying on the ground, fatally injured. Mr Mills said he then wrapped the deceased in a sheet.

The witness said he also saw a handgun in the carpark and someone pointed out another weapon to him which was beside a car. There were spent cartridges on the ground, he added.

The court heard previously that all the bullets came from a single weapon and the firearms were discarded by the attackers in the car park.

‘Fireworks’

Robert Larkin told the prosecution that he was on North Cumberland Street on the morning of May 24th, 2016 and heard “something like fireworks going off”.

“Two fellas came out from the flat complex and ran down the road,” he said.

Mr Larkin said a car had also driven into Avondale House, the driver got out of it and started “screaming hysterically.”

Kelly Hogan said she first heard glass smashing in the carpark on the morning of the shooting. Her neighbour “Gar” was lying at a parked car.

“Ross was there, he was running around the carpark screaming,” she said.

Ms Hogan agreed with counsel that she saw two people running around the carpark, one of them attempted to start a car but it would not start. The two men who were wearing hoodies ran out of the carpark.

Jim Holmes told the court that he was walking in the direction of Gardiner Street at 9.50am on the morning when he saw two people running in the middle of the road. One of the men was wearing a balaclava which looked “suspicious” so he phoned 999.

The two attackers turned into Champions Avenue and got into a parked silver Skoda Octavia. The car was facing the “wrong way” down the cul de sac, he said and so they tried to turn the car around. When the car reached the junction, it turned left onto Gardiner Street, he said.

The trial also saw CCTV footage of the fatal shooting of Mr Hutch.

Garda Catherine McAteer from Mountjoy Garda Station said she obtained permission from the area manager of Avondale House to access and download CCTV footage in relation to the murder of Gareth Hutch.

The trial continues on Thursday before presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt, Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michael Walsh.