Gsoc officer resigns for attending party with Gerard Hutch after verdict

Fri, 21 Apr, 2023 - 21:49

Kenneth Fox

An officer with the Garda Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) has resigned amid allegations he attended a party with Gerard Hutch, the day that he was cleared of murder.

Mr Hutch (60) was found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016 at the Special Criminal Court on Monday.

As The Irish Times reports, it is understood that the Gsoc investigator told a number of people that he had been at a party at a house on Monday evening, which Mr Hutch attended. The claim was subsequently reported to senior management at Gsoc and the officer resigned.

A spokesperson for the Minister for Justice told The Irish Times that The Department of Justice and the Minister were aware of the incident involving an issue with a staff member but added it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.

It is understood that the officer has been involved in a number of high profile investigations into potential garda misconduct.

Security sources said the Gsoc investigator told colleagues that he had attended at party in Dublin’s north inner city on Monday night and that Gerry Hutch was at the same gathering.

Some personnel in Gsoc were concern at hearing the claims and brought them to the attention of more senior figures within the Garda watchdog agency.

Garda sources said they believed the main social gathering to celebrate Mr Hutch’s acquittal on Monday afternoon for the 2016 murder of David Byrne had taken place on Monday night in a house in suburban Dublin, with Mr Hutch in attendance, and which was several kilometres from the north inner city.

A spokesperson for the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) said that an investigation is ongoing.

“Gsoc became aware in recent days of a potential conflict of interest involving a staff member. Gsoc immediately commenced an internal investigation into the matter. The officer concerned has now submitted their resignation and GSOC’s investigation is ongoing. GSOC has no further comment at this time.”