THE emotional mum of Gareth Hutch, who was shot dead in 2016, has remember the “horrible” call she received.
Heartbroken Vera Hutch watched yesterday as assassin Thomas ‘Nicky’ McConnell sat emotionless in the dock at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court.
McConnell, who was also a person of interest in the murder of Real IRA boss Vincent Ryan, was handed down the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Alexander Owens over the callous murder of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s nephew in 2016 after he was convicted in December.
He is the fourth person to be convicted of murder in relation to Hutch’s killing, with siblings Jonathan and Regina Keogh along with Thomas ‘Tossy’ Fox already serving life behind bars.
Speaking tonight with RTE’s Prime Time, Vera was overwhelmed with emotion as she recalled the day in 2016 she received the call no parent wants to get.
HORROR CALL
She said: “My phone rang, it was my niece, I couldn’t hear her. As I went to pull in, Johnny was there in the middle of the road and he was waving his hands.
“I said ‘what’s wrong?’ He said ‘Gareth’s after getting shot’.
“We drove in and Gareth was on the ground. I’ll never forget it as long as I live, horrible.”
Following Gareth’s death, footage began circulating online showing the exact moment he was shot.
This was later played in court, while Vera and her children were present.
She said: “Even when it was playing in court, I couldn’t look at it.”
SECOND ATTACK
Vera described her late husband Johnny, who died following a fall at home in 2019, as “broken” following their son’s death.
Gareth’s death was followed by an attempt on Johnny’s life, with gunmen shooting into their family car and later garden.
The couple’s two daughters Amy and Carol, who has special needs, were also in the home at the time.
Vera said: “I was looking at a man fire shots into the back [of the house].. there was that many shots that they got fired, I didn’t know was Johnny dead or her alive, [or] was Carol dead or alive.”
‘BROKEN WOMAN’
She added: “I feel like a broken woman, you know, since that. They don’t know what they’re putting people through.”
Amy added: “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, between cars getting burned, houses getting burned.”
Despite not being involved with the Hutch-Kinahan feud, the family have found living with the now infamous surname difficult.
Vera said: “You mention the Hutch name and everyone looks around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud of the name, I’m proud of Johnny, like but once you mention the name, everyone looks around.
“I don’t think it’s as bad now as what it was when the feuds were on.”
Gareth Hutch was killed in 2016[/caption]
