In many ways the verdict of ‘not guilty’ in the case of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch was to be expected.
However the moment that Ms Justice Tara Burns exclaimed the words, everyone in the courtroom, including me were in a state of shock.
Gerry Hutch, ever stoic and silent throughout this 13 week murder trial, barely reacted himself in the moment, save for a slight nod of the head in the direction of the three judges.
Read More: Tight security at trial of the century ends as the Monk walks free from court
But in a court where there is an almost 100 percent conviction rate, there remained lingering doubt that such a result would be possible - and especially in light of the massive effort by the State to extradite and charge ‘The Monk’ with this murder.
And no one could have expected that this man, a top target of the Kinahan cartel, would so boldly walk out the front doors of the court after all was said and done.
For three months I was lucky enough to sit among my many talented colleagues to witness this trial, an unprecedented and historic case in Irish gangland.
But as the weeks went by it became clear to me, and indeed to many others, that the actual evidence against Gerry Hutch was quite thin - and there wasn’t going to be a smoking gun.
It was incredible to hear Ms Justice Tara Burns state that yes, Gerry Hutch likely was in possession of the firearms that were used in the attack, and the evidence on the secretely recorded NSU supported that.
However, she agreed with the submission of Hutch’s own defence counsel, that evidence was not tantamount to murder - and it certainly didn’t prove that he was physically in the Regency Hotel, let alone one of the shooters, that day.
Dowdall’s evidence too, to anyone who witnessed it, was incredibly shoddy and he proved himself to be a completely unreliable witness.
It perhaps wasn't a surprise then to hear the judges almost immediately disregard his entire evidence - on the basis that he simply cannot be trusted.
In the end of the day it is about the evidence, and that is all that should matter in a criminal trial.
People can have their opinions about Gerry Hutch, and of course evidence was shown in court of potential criminality, but this simply wasn’t in relation to the offence he was accused of.
Legitimate questions have now been asked about the involvement of others in this horrific murder, and it was clear from the meticulous garda investigation that there are potentially others who will have to face charges.
But when it comes to the case of Gerard Hutch, this was perhaps the only inevitable conclusion to this case, given the evidence that was before the court.
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