Gerry Hutch

Gerry Hutch is a former Irish criminal, often known by his nickname of 'The Monk', born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland in 1963. He was notable for not being involved in the sale or distribution of drugs.cite web |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2000/04/01/current/ipage_7.htm|title= Irish Examiner, 1st April 2000] He was very active within Dublin's inner city community, working with disadvantaged children and encouraging them not to take drugs. His nickname is said to have come partly because of this non-involvement in drugs and partly from the "disciplined, ascetic life style" he followed after leaving jail in 1985.

Early life

Born in central Dublin, his criminal career started at the age of 10 when he joined and later led the 'Bugsy Malone Gang' of inner city youngsters (named after the fictional feature film) whose crimes in the 1970s included "jump-overs": they would jump over bank counters, grab whatever cash they could and run out the door.

He was later part of another gang primarily involved in major robberies and received a significant number of convictions between 1970 and 1985 intermittently spending time in prison. His gang was said to have amassed an estimated IR£40 million from a series of bank robberies, jewellery heists, and fraud scams spanning almost 8 years.

Hutch also managed to gain money from actions in the Irish courts. These included £8,500 won from Securicor Ireland in June, 1991, £2,000 from The "Sunday Tribune" newspaper in a libel action and around £26,000 won in legal actions against the Irish State.

Corinthians Boxing Club

In 1998 he was a founder member of the Corinthians Boxing Club in Dublin and has served as treasurer for the club. The club has a full gym and a world class boxing ring. The latter was donated by film director Jim Sheridan after making the movie The Boxer

CAB

In 1999, in the course of court proceedings brought against Hutch by the Irish state's anti money laundering agency, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), Detective Chief Superintendent Felix McKenna claimed Hutch had been involved in the IR£1.7 million robbery of an armoured van at Marino Martcite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/1999/0514/monk.html|title= RTÉ News, 14th May 1999] in January 1997 and the IR£3 million armed robbery of a Brinks Allied Security Depot in Clonshaugh, County Dublin, in 1996, which had been the largest cash robbery in the State at the time.

Hutch eventually reached a IR£1.2 settlement with the CAB to "cover back taxes and interest for a nine year period".

Driving career

After the CAB settlement, Hutch applied for and was granted a taxi licence.cite web |url= http://www.taxi.ie/ghutch.shtml |title= Irish taxi industry website quoting Irish Times, 6th June 2001]

He is no longer a taxi driver but runs a limousine servicecite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/sunday_times/ireland/article696560.ece|title= The Times, London, 26th March 2006] and works as a chauffeur.cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20060507/ai_n16353590|title= Sunday Mirror, Ireland, 7th May 2006] He has featured in the Irish media from time to time because he has driven celebrities including Mike Tysoncite web |url=http://www.showbizireland.com/news/march06/28-tyson01.shtml|title= Showbiz Ireland, 28th March 2006] on their visits to Ireland - also because he uses an eye catching stretch Hummer limousine.The name of his limousine service is Carry Any Body which can be abbreviated to CAB. This is widely believed to replicate the Criminal Assets Bureaus abbreviation in a humorous manner

Film & TV

Several of the films based on the life of the late Irish journalist Veronica Guerin feature actors playing Hutch.

Hutch appeared on RTÉ's "Prime Time" in March 2008 where he was interviewed about his life and criminal career. Hutch denied any criminal activity other than tax evasion (since last prison term served). Hutch pointed out that he has never been convicted of any crime while the interviewer repeatedly queried the monks wealth and its origins.

Hutch was the subject of investigation in the popular TV3 factual television series, "". The episode which aired March 2008 was solely devoted to the assets and finances seized by the criminal assets bureau of the Garda Síochána of both Hutch and his suspected criminal and family associates.

References