An inquest into the murder of a cousin of Gerry “The Monk” Hutch has learned that no one has been charged in connection with his death, despite more than 450 lines of inquiry being investigated by Gardaí.
Erek Coakley-Hutch, 27, a father of two from Buckingham Street in Dublin’s north inner city, was shot and killed on 20 January 2018 while sitting in a car at a stop in Clondalkin.
Coroner Cróna Gallagher told a hearing of the Dublin District Coroner’s Court that full details of the Garda investigation would not be heard as the circumstances of Mr Hutch’s death were still a living criminal case.
dr. Gallagher said no evidence would be revealed that could harm any future criminal proceedings.
Detective Inspector Niamh Molloy told the inquiry that Mr Coakley-Hutch had arrived in a vehicle with two other men at the Bridgeview staging point on Cloverhill Road around 3pm.
The scene was close to Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons.
Det Insp Molloy said the two other men got out of the car, while the deceased remained in the vehicle.
She said another vehicle pulled up next to the one Mr. Hutch was in at the time.
Shots were fired from this vehicle, resulting in injuries to the victim.
Although emergency services were on the scene within minutes of being alerted, Mr Coakley-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 learned that Gardaí had taken 451 different lines of inquiry as part of their investigation into Mr Hutch’s murder, as well as taking 340 statements and collecting 400 documents.
Det Insp Molloy said a CCTV system had captured both vehicles entering the stop, but the “grainy” quality of the photos did not allow identifying people in the cars.
Footage also showed the second vehicle quickly leaving the scene after the fatal shooting.
Derek Coakley-Hutch’s mother, Noeleen (pictured left wearing a mask) is leaving the Dublin County Coroner this afternoon. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Det Insp Molloy said the two other men who arrived with Hutch were “doing something else” while no eyewitnesses to the shooting were found, despite it being a “quite populated” area.
She said a file had been forwarded to the DPP regarding two individuals, but it was decided that no criminal charges would follow.
Mark Toner, a paramedic who provided emergency care to the victim, said Mr Hutch suffered multiple traumatic head injuries and extensive blood loss.
The inquest found that attempts to resuscitate Mr Coakley-Hutch were halted after 10 minutes when he showed no sign of life.
At 5:08 p.m., he was formally pronounced dead.
The lead pathologist, Linda Mulligan, described how the results of an autopsy showed that at least three shots had been fired at Mr Coakley-Hutch.
dr. Mulligan said there were three separate wounds to the head that caused significant damage to the victim’s skull and brain that were “incompatible with life”.
She said there was a fourth gunshot wound to his right forearm, which may have bounced off, causing one of Mr Coakley-Hutch’s head injuries.
He also had scratches on his face, which the pathologist said were probably caused by glass splinters.
She estimated that the deadly shots were fired from a distance of 1-2 meters.
Mr. Hutch’s mother, Noeleen, who had formally identified her son’s body to Gardaí, wept with other family members when they learned details of the postmortem report and left the hearing shortly after being overcome with grief.
dr. Mulligan said toxicology reports showed no alcohol or drugs were found in the victim’s body, and he also had no underlying health problems.
She confirmed 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 “immediate”.
A jury of five women and a man handed down a verdict of unlawful death by a person or unknown persons.
Mr Coakley-Hutch is believed to have been the 14th victim of the gang feud between the criminal organizations Hutch and Kinahan, which began when his cousin, Gary Hutch, was shot dead in Spain in 2015.