Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch arrested in Spain

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch is wanted in Ireland to face charges in connection with the fatal shooting of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.

Gerry Hutch is wanted in Ireland to face charges in connection with the Regency Hotel attack five years ago. A file picture shows Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. Picture: RollingNews.ie

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch has been arrested in Spain on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.

The 58-year-old, who is currently in Spanish custody, is wanted in Ireland in relation to the attack on the Regency Hotel in 2016.

That attack resulted in the shooting dead of Kinahan cartel lieutenant David Byrne, and ignited the Kinahan-Hutch feud, which has been linked to 18 murders in Ireland and Spain.

It is believed he was detained in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.

Hutch fled Ireland after the notorious assault on the north Dublin hotel in February 2016, travelling between countries but he is mostly thought to be resident in Spain.

He will be moved to Madrid where he is expected to contest the arrest warrant so it could be many months before gardaí in Dublin get to question him.

Last April, the High Court issued a European Arrest Warrant for Gerry Hutch followed an application by the Garda investigation team in Ballymun on foot of a direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The Regency Hotel attack, a retaliatory revenge strike for the murder of The Monk's nephew, Gary Hutch, took place during a boxing weigh-in and saw assailants dressed in mock Garda ERU-style uniforms and brandishing AK47 assault rifles, storming the hotel in search of Daniel Kinahan. 

Hotel Attack

Kinahan, described in court as the leader of a rival cartel, was believed by the gardaí to be the main target of the raid. 

Balloons, flowers, photos and messages at the site of the former Regency Hotel in Dublin, since renamed the Bonnington Hotel, left by family members and friends of David Byrne who was shot dead by members of the Hutch gang during a boxing weigh-in on February 5 2016. Picture: Brian Lawless

He was identified in the High Court in Dublin as a senior figure who “controlled and managed” the operations of the Kinahan organised crime group.

The international crime syndicate has been involved in the smuggling of drugs and guns into Ireland, the UK, and Europe.

Gary Hutch had been an associate of the cartel until relations soured. 

Two other targets in the attack were Kinahan lieutenants, David Byrne, and his brother, Liam Byrne.

Both Daniel Kinahan and Liam Byrne managed to escape the gunmen, while David Byrne was shot dead in the hotel foyer. 

No one had been successfully prosecuted for five years after the attack until last April when three men appeared in the Special Criminal Court, charged in connection with the shooting.  

When contacted for comment, gardaí said reports of The Monk's arrest was a matter for the Spanish police. 

A garda spokesperson said: "Any inquiries in relation to an Irish citizen being arrested in Spain are currently a matter for the Spanish Authorities.

"An Garda Síochána cannot confirm the matter any further at this time."