Killer Derek “Del Boy” Hutch was taking no chances on Thursday — as he walked through the centre of Dublin wearing body armour to protect himself from hitmen.
Hutch, a nephew of The Monk, was photographed smiling and laughing as he strolled through inner city Dublin on Thursday morning — but there were tell-tale signs he had a bullet proof vest under his jacket.
Sources say gardai believe the killer — who is a target for the Kinahan cartel — is wearing body armour when he is out and about in case gunmen come after him.
“He would be a fool if he didn’t wear it, the Kinahans don’t mess around,” one source said last night.
The distinctive bulge of body armour was clearly visible under his coat and witnesses said he appeared nervous as he walked in the Sean MacDermott street area — despite him laughing and smiling.
“He looked windy enough,” one bystander said.
“He came out of a shop and was gone in a flash.”
Wearing a cap, jacket and striped shorts, Hutch (35) was seen walking around inner city Dublin and even wheeling a bike close to his family home yesterday.
That is despite real fears by gardai that he is a major target for the Kinahan crime cartel, at the centre of a deadly feud against the Hutch gang that has now left 18 men dead.
Officers had been wary of Hutch being released from Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison, where he was serving a sentence for manslaughter over fears the cartel could try to attack him — but there have been no incidents in the three weeks since he walked free from jail.
Del Boy has long been a target for the cartel, which is led by mobster Daniel Kinahan (44) – even behind bars.
He survived two attacks in prison, one just three days after he was let out on temporary release for the funeral of his brother Gary (34), who was murdered by the cartel in Spain in September 2015.
He was attacked by a gang of inmates he had been talking to in the A yard of Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison on October 9, 2015.
Sources say the attack was planned and involved several men who spent more than 10 minutes walking and talking with Hutch in the yard — before suddenly turning on him.
Hutch was stabbed in the arm in the brutal attack.
He was saved from more serious injury by the bravery of unarmed prison officers who dived into the crowd attacking the killer to save him.
He was later treated for his wounds by prison medical staff and did not go to hospital.
Then in December of the same year a criminal forced his way into Del Boy’s cell and attacked him with a home-made knife.
Hutch escaped with a defensive slash wound to his arms, while one of his assailants had to be taken to hospital to be treated for lacerations.
Two prisoners came to Del Boy’s rescue and saved his life, investigators believe.
He was later moved to Wheatfield Prison in west Dublin, from where he was released on July 31.
He was driven away from prison in a hire car by his brother Patrick (27) — who was charged over the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Airport Hotel in February 2016.
That charge was dropped after the death of lead investigator Detective Superintendent Colm Fox in February 2018, but the men’s uncle Gerry “the Monk” Hutch has now been arrested in Spain over the same murder.
The Monk is now facing an extradition process to brought back to Ireland where he will go on trial for the murder of Byrne, a key ally of Daniel Kinahan.
On Wednesday, Derek and Patrick’s father, Patsy, appeared in public at the funeral of former INLA man and drugs smuggler Tommy Savage (71).
Savage, known as the Zombie, was a close pal of the Monk, who is now locked up in Spain following his dramatic arrest by the Guardia Civil in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol last Thursday.
Both Derek and Patrick Hutch have legally changed their names.
