Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 2477Murder · Co. Dublin

Thomas 'Nicky' McConnell jailed for life for role in murder of Gareth Hutch in Ballymun

Thomas 'Nicky' McConnell, 39, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for his role as the second assassin in the May 2016 ambush murder of Gareth Hutch outside his home in Ballymun, Dublin. The sentence was backdated to July 2020 when he was taken into custody by Turkish authorities before being extradited to Ireland.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced27 Jan
    4 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
48 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatMcConnell was found to be the second assassin who worked with Jonathan Keogh, who followed Hutch from his home and shot him. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcConnell parked a black BMW in front of Avondale House as the intended getaway car. (irishtimes.com, dublinlive.ie)
  • whatAfter the shooting, Keogh and McConnell got into the BMW but could not start it, so they ran to a Skoda Octavia also parked by McConnell. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcConnell pleaded not guilty to the murder of Gareth Hutch on 24 May 2016 at Avondale House, North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe court found beyond reasonable doubt that McConnell was the second assassin alongside Jonathan Keogh, who followed Gareth Hutch from his home and shot him dead. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatKeogh's gun discharged bullets at close range that caused the fatal injuries to Hutch. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatMcConnell's gun had the safety catch on and did not fire any rounds during the assassination. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatMcConnell and Jonathan Keogh used an apartment opposite Gareth Hutch's home as a lookout spot. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatAfter the shooting, Keogh and McConnell could not start the BMW and ran to a Skoda Octavia also parked nearby by McConnell. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe abuse started with the man digitally penetrating the victim's vagina when she was seven. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe abuse escalated and included violence. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man was a juvenile during most of the offending period. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe defendant had a mini fridge in his room and used to offer his sister soft drinks if she came in. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman said the smell of vanilla coke turns her stomach. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe abuse started with the brother digitally penetrating his sister when she was seven. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe murder was an ambush outside Hutch's home in Ballymun, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe abuse started in 2001 when the victim was approximately seven and the man was 14. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe abuse ended in 2008 when the man was around 20 years old. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe abuse started in 2001 when the victim was about seven years old and the defendant was 14. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe abuse ended in 2008 when the defendant was about 20. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí searching the BMW found McConnell's DNA, a can of petrol and two changes of clothes. (dublinlive.ie)
  • chargeThe man was convicted of two counts of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault before the trial. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeHe pleaded to two counts of oral rape during the trial. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of two counts of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty before trial to three counts of sexual assault and to two counts of oral rape during the trial. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMcConnell pleaded not guilty but was convicted by the Special Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe Supreme Court ruled that traffic and location data from mobile phones could be used as evidence even though harvested under a now-invalidated law. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMcConnell's trial began in 2023 but was postponed for 16 months due to a judge's inability to continue and a pending Supreme Court ruling. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe Supreme Court ruled that traffic and location data from mobile phones could be used as evidence even if harvested under a now-invalidated law. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtIn November 2018 the Special Criminal Court found Regina Keogh, Jonathan Keogh and Thomas Fox guilty of the murder of Gareth Hutch. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtTom Creed SC was defending the man. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceMcConnell was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to 20 July 2020 when he was taken into custody by Turkish authorities. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMcConnell was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment, backdated to July 20 2020 when he was extradited from Turkey. (dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to nine years with the final 12 months suspended for three years on strict conditions. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment with the final year suspended for rape and sexual assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe attack happened at the height of the Kinahan-Hutch feud. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMcConnell had 105 previous convictions for offences including assault, threatening to kill and cause serious harm, and knife possession. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherGareth Hutch was a nephew of Gerard Hutch. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMcConnell has 105 previous convictions including assault, threatening to kill, causing serious harm and possession of knives. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherMcConnell lied to gardaí that he had sold the BMW to a man similar in appearance to himself. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThere was a seven-year age gap between the man and his sister. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man had no previous convictions and worked right up until the trial. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe judge noted the man was a juvenile for most of his offending. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man had not come to garda attention since the offences occurred. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim has had multiple counsellors and self-harmed. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man used to offer his sister soft drinks from a mini fridge in his room, and she can no longer tolerate the smell of vanilla coke. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 27 Jan2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Woman disclosed rape by older brother as ‘she couldn’t face’ another Christmas with him at the table

    Sentencing report: Mr Justice Paul Burns imposed a nine-year sentence (final year suspended) after the man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury. Details of the grooming, the victim's disclosure in 2020, and mitigation evidence from the man's heavily pregnant wife are provided.

    victim, 30, femaleconvicted, 36, male
  2. 27 Jan2025
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Woman raped by brother told of abuse on Late Late Toy Show night

    Sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court; details of the abuse, the victim's disclosure, and the judge's reasoning for the sentence.

    victim, 30, femaleconvicted, 36, male
  3. 27 Jan2025
    Sentenceddublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Mother of murdered nephew of Gerry Hutch 'heart is broken' as killer jailed

    McConnell sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment, backdated to July 20 2020 when extradited from Turkey. Court found he was the second gunman alongside Jonathan Keogh, relying on mobile phone data, CCTV, and lies told to gardaí. His gun had the safety catch on and did not fire. He has 105 previous convictions.

    victim, Gareth Hutch, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Gareth Hutchconvicted, Thomas 'Nicky' McConnell, 39, male, named, irish (judged from name)Thomas 'Nicky' McConnellconvicted, Jonathan Keogh, 39, male, named, irish (judged from name)Jonathan Keoghconvicted, Regina Keogh, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Regina Keoghconvicted, Thomas Fox, 32, male, named, irish (judged from name)Thomas Fox
  4. 27 Jan2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    ‘A violent and callous crime’: Man (39) jailed for life over role in murder of Gareth Hutch

    Reports the sentencing of McConnell to life imprisonment, details of the ambush (two gunmen, one of whose gun had the safety on), the getaway car sequence, and the evidence relied upon including mobile phone data, CCTV and emails.

    victim, Gareth Hutch, male, irish (judged from name)Gareth Hutchconvicted, 39, male, irish (judged from name)convicted, Jonathan Keogh, 39, male, named, irish (judged from name)Jonathan Keoghconvicted, Regina Keogh, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Regina Keoghconvicted, Thomas Fox, 32, male, named, irish (judged from name)Thomas Fox