Veteran criminal Gerry Hutch, known as The Monk, has said “karma” will follow former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall, who gave evidence against him when he was charged with murder three years ago. But he said he “certainly” has no plans to harm Dowdall.
Hutch also confirmed he will contest the upcoming byelection in the Dublin Central constituency just over a year after getting close to taking a seat there at the general election.
Hutch confirmed his plans while meeting members of the media during a press event for actor Rex Ryan’s play, The Monk, which is based on Hutch’s life and is about to open at the Ambassador Theatre, Dublin.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has been the star performer in the constituency, and the byelection is seen as her party’s to lose.
“It is what it is. Win, lose or draw,” Hutch (62) said when asked about the strong opposition likely to come from Sinn Féin, which has yet to select a candidate.
Hutch was closely associated with Dowdall, who is also from the north inner city. Dowdall was jailed for assisting the Hutch gang attack at the Regency Hotel, north Dublin, in 2016 which was part of the Kinahan-Hutch feud and claimed the life of David Byrne.
When Hutch was put on trial for the murder of Kinahan associate Byrne, he was acquitted in 2023 by the Special Criminal Court despite Dowdall sensationally opting to give evidence against him. However, the court described Hutch as the leader of the Hutch family and said the evidence in the case suggested he had control of the guns from the attack in the period after it.
When asked about Dowdall (who was freed from prison last year to enter the witness protection programme), Hutch said he did not want to comment about whether it would be safe for him to come back to Ireland.
“You’d know. Is it safe? Are you going to do anything to him? I’m certainly not, I think karma will do that itself,” he said.
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Hutch secured more than 2,000 first-preference votes in the general election in November 2024, shocking political observers. Marie Sherlock (Labour) eventually surged past him on transfers to take the seat.
Since the general election he has contacted political scientists to learn more about the electoral system and the finer points of proportional representation, including maximising transfers.
While he is being pursued by the Criminal Assets Bureau at present for almost €800,000 (the amount the bureau alleges he owes in unpaid taxes), a lacuna in the law means Hutch would not be blocked from taking up a seat if he were elected.
The Standards in Public Office Act 2001 introduced a tax clearance requirement for members of the Dáil. Due to the tax demand, Hutch would not be in a position to secure a tax clearance certificate from the Revenue Commissioners.
However, despite the legislation, a newly elected TD’s inability to produce a tax clearance would not block them taking their seat. Such a TD could be suspended from the Dáil in a members’ vote, but they would still remain a TD.