Mother whose son died from cocaine toxicity wants body exhumed

A DISTRAUGHT mother last night called for the body of her beloved son to be exhumed, almost two years after his death.

An inquest found Christopher Hutch from Blackhall Square, North King’s Street in Dublin, a nephew of convicted criminal Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, died from cocaine toxicity on March 30, 2003.

However, his mother, Jane Byrne, queried whether any poisons, such as rat poison, had been found.

She said: “I’d like his body exhumed and every organ taken out and tested for poison.”

And she told the Dublin City Coroner’s Court: “I’m not happy, I’d like to keep this open until I find out the truth.”

However, the coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, reassured her that the screen was carried out for many poisons.

He said that the only substances found were a small level of alcohol and a significant amount of cocaine.

The pathologist from the Mater Hospital, Dr Niall Mulligan, said: “There was no evidence at all that there was any other substance involved.”

He said Mr Hutch had died from a heart attack brought on by the cardiac toxic effects of cocaine. He warned that it was a variable drug.

His mother admitted: “I know my son took one line of coke that day after the gym.”

His father, Edward, who was seated apart from his wife in the court but near his brother Gerry, said he accepted the cause of his son’s death and said his wife was simply trying to drag the case on.

The court heard Mr Hutch was rushed to the hospital from his flat in north Dublin on March 30, 2003, after a night out drinking with a friend, David Waldren.

He said they had not been taking drugs, but in the early hours of the morning Mr Hutch collapsed.

The ambulance crew said when they arrived at the scene Mr Hutch had blood-smeared fluid coming from his nose, no pulse and was not breathing.

Mr Hutch’s mother went on to accuse her husband, Edward, and his brothers of clearing out her son’s flat soon after his death.

She said: “There is no way would a proper father clear out his child’s home like that.”

And she claimed that his pin number had been used twice on the day of his death to withdraw cash from his account. Ms Byrne added: “The guards won’t do any inquiry.”

However, Inspector Timothy McCarthy from the Bridewell Garda Station said the difficulty was gardaí were not informed by the emergency ambulance crew after they were called to Mr Hutch’s flat.

He said the Bridewell was not notified until a week later and the flat had already been cleaned up by that time.

Garda Kieran Cronin said they were specifically investigating the death and had no knowledge of any claims about his bank accounts.

The coroner passed a verdict of death by misadventure due to cocaine toxicity and said he was satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances.