EXCLUSIVE

BOMB PLAN 

Inside Hutch’s plot to take out ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson by throwing grenades into pubs during early days of Kinahan feud

Crime Editor

• Published: 8:00, 23 Apr 2023
• Updated: 20:18, 22 Apr 2023

THE Hutch crime gang wanted to take out rival thug ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson by throwing two grenades into two pubs he was known to frequent in the early days of their feud with the Kinahans.

Thompson was the Hutch faction’s number one target because he had experience of surviving an earlier feud between Dublin gangs.

But the Hutch group never carried out their gory plan as their former associates sided with the Kinahan cartel in return for cash.

Nearly one week after Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch was cleared of the murder of Kinahan thug David Byrne, the Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal new details of the plots undertaken by both factions.

Gardai came to learn that the Hutch Organised Crime Group had made ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson their number one target following the murder of Eddie Hutch on February 8, 2016.

The Hutch faction targeted Thompson because they knew he had experience of surviving a gang war when he led a mob in the Crumlin and Drimnagh feud between 2001 and 2016.

One source said: “Both factions in those early days were desperate to kill well-known figures connected to the gangs. The Hutch faction had already shown their capabilities with the Regency attack.

“There was concern that they had access to grenades and wanted to follow the Regency up with another so-called ‘spectacular’.

“Freddie Thompson was a major target because they knew the violence that he was capable of orchestrating and because he was once Gary Hutch’s best friend.

“Freddie and Gary were like brothers when they were in Spain but his loyalties were firmly with Daniel Kinahan when the feud erupted.”

At the time the Hutch mob were plotting to kill Thompson, we can also reveal the gang were in talks with dissident republicans.

Although it emerged in Gerry Hutch’s trial that The Monk had met with renegade republicans in the north, the PSNI also obtained information of a meeting at a Dublin hotel.

During the meeting, the republicans offered to “travel to Europe” to “take on the Kinahans”.

There were also fears explosives would be used to target the homes of innocent people connected to leading figures in both factions.

This was a tactic used in the Crumlin and Drimnagh feud when petrol bombs were thrown at the home of Thompson’s mother Lisa, who passed away last week, and relatives of Brian Rattigan.

KINAHAN TARGETS

At the same time the Hutch faction was targeting Thompson, the Kinahan cartel had set their sights on James ‘Mago’ Gately.

Gately became a top target because ‘The Monk’ had fled Ireland. Gardai believe they targeted Gately because they were worried about his long-standing associates.

Although Gately fled Dublin in 2016, the cartel continued to pursue him in 2017.

He was first targeted by Estonian hitman Imre Arakas in April 2017 but Arkas was arrested by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

‘WANTED HIM DEAD’

But just a month later Gateley was shot by hitman Caolan Smith but had a lucky escape.

Another source said: “Gately was a primary target because he knew a lot of people and the cartel were concerned he could attract those people to their ranks.

“The fact that they tried to kill him twice shows just how much they wanted him dead.

“The Hutch gang would go on to kill only one cartel associate but the Kinahan group went on the rampage.

INNOCENT LIVES LOST

“The Kinahan faction didn’t care who got in their way and that’s why they murdered people for having the slightest connection to the Hutch family.

“It’s also important to remember people like Trevor O’Neill, Noel Kirwan and Martin O’Rourke who (died and) were completely innocent.”

And former Dublin Lord Mayor Nial Ring also told of his concerns for the community during the feud.

Mr Ring said: “We knew both sides were actively targeting each other and we saw innocent people like poor Martin O’Rourke lose their lives.

“Thankfully the north inner city is in a much better place now. (But) last week’s trial brought things back for a lot of people.”

FUNERAL DOUBT

Meanwhile, it’s not clear if Kinahan gangster Liam Byrne will return home for the funeral of Fat Freddie Thompson’s mother Lisa in Dublin tomorrow.

But we can reveal Thompson, who is an inmate at Portlaoise Prison, will not be attending.

One jail source told us: “Thompson completely wrecked his cell when he heard the news about his mother’s passing.

“But one of the prison officers managed to calm him down.

“He won’t be getting out because he’s too much of a security risk and because of his connections to the Kinahans.”