Hutch murder accused sent text message: “Your scot free pal” and “there all poxy blaming me”

The court heard the text message was sent from a UK number to a phone number associated with Thomas Fox (31).

It is the State’s case that Jonathan Keogh (32) went to Belfast after the killing and his sister Regina Keogh (41) arranged for money to be brought to him before he got the ferry to Cairnryan in Scotland.

Mr Hutch (36), nephew of Gerry "the monk" Hutch was shot dead as he was getting into his car outside Avondale House flats on North Cumberland Street in Dublin on the morning of May 24, 2016. He died as a result of four gun shot injuries.

Mr Fox with an address at Rutland Court, Dublin 1, Ms Keogh from Avondale House, Cumberland Street North, Dublin 1 and Mr Keogh of Gloucester Place, Dublin 1, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Hutch.

Mr Fox has also denied unlawfully possessing a Makarov 9 mm handgun on May 23, 2016 at the same place.

Senior crime and policing analyst Paul Hibbitts today agreed with prosecuting counsel Diarmaid Collins BL that all CDR's (call data records), SIM cards and phones obtained by gardai in the investigation were sent to him for analysis.

The court heard a 974 number, associated with Mr Fox, received a text message from a UK number at 5.24pm on the day of the shooting. Mr Collins told the court that gardai took a photograph of this text message which appeared on a phone associated with Mr Fox.

Mr Collins read the text sent from this UK number into evidence saying: “Ask anybody pal I’m begging ya that jacket sink me. Anyone from Summerhill to just ask them princes to take it out and blue thing. They can say anything they want your scot free pal I’m telling ya its only association with me. I’m the one there all poxy blaming me.”[Sic]

Mr Hibbitts agreed with Mr Collins that a number of text messages on the 974 phone were recorded as having been received. The witness further agreed there was a record of a 70 second phone call from this UK number to the 974 number at 5.09pm, fifteen minutes prior to the text having been received.

The UK number also made three calls and sent 17 text messages to a mobile associated with Denise King, the former partner of Mr Keogh, on May 24 and May 25. There was also two texts and two phone calls from the same UK number to a number associated with Regina Keogh, the court heard.

The three-judge court has previously watched CCTV footage of a man identified as Mr Keogh in Fibber Magee's pub in Belfast at 9.54pm on the evening of the shooting. Evidence has already been heard that Mr Keogh went to Belfast after the killing and his sister Regina arranged for money to be brought to him.

The court has also seen footage of two males and a female at Stenaline Port Terminal in Belfast on the day after the shooting. Denise King, the former partner of Mr Keogh, previously gave evidence that they went to the ferry port on May 25 and Jonathan got the ferry to Scotland. She said he seemed sad when he was leaving.

Earlier, the non-jury court heard that two SIM packs – numbered 842 and 181 - were found in a Honda Civic car which the prosecution allege is associated with Mr Keogh.

Mr Hibbitts agreed with Mr Collins that there was regular interaction between the 181 number and a 455 number between 6.53am and 8.56am on the morning of the shooting.

The court heard the 455 number was seized when gardai arrested Mr AB. When Mr Hibbits analysed this number he found it was in extensive contact with two numbers based in Thailand, as well as Ms Keogh’s number, Mr Fox’s number and the 181 and 842 numbers found in a car linked to Mr Keogh.

The 181 number pinged off a single cell site at Blessington Lane, Dublin 7, while the 455 pinged off three cell sites, at Moore Street, Amien Street and Cassidy’s Hotel on Cavendish road on the morning of the shooting.

Mr Hibbitts said that both numbers checked the credit balance on their phones and soon after a new number, 699, which the court heard is another number linked to Mr Fox, began contacting the 455 number. The court heard previously that the 699 number was linked to Mr Fox when he had registered for a gym.

This new number was using the same cell site on Blessington Lane and there was six interactions between the 455 and 699 number.

Mr Hibbitts agreed that the 699 number attempted to contact the 455 number on three occasions from 10.01am.

The court previously heard that gardai made 38 requests for mobile phone records as part of their investigation into the killing.

The prosecution contend that Mr Keogh threatened to kill Mr Hutch the evening before the shooting, that Mr Fox and Regina Keogh were instrumental in planning the murder, and Mr Keogh and another man, Mr AB, were the shooters.

At the opening of the trial, the prosecution told the court that the killing of Mr Hutch was not a spontaneous or spur of the moment act but a “brutal and callous murder”.

“It was premeditated and a significant amount of planning had gone into it,” counsel said.

The prosecution say the three co-accused each had their own part to play in bringing about the death of Mr Hutch.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Michael Walsh.