'Buda' enlisted for Hutch killing spree before his murder

Gardai received information that the latest victim of the Hutch-Kinahan feud - Jason 'Buda' Molyneux - had been entrusted with murdering at least two Kinahan mobsters based in the north inner city as part of a "fightback" following the shocking killing of Derek Coakley Hutch.

However, the sinister plan now lies in tatters because 'Buda' was gunned down on January 30, after he was lured to his death close to his north inner city home.

Fightback

"He was the man enlisted to lead the fightback after the murder of his pal Derek but it just did not work out like that," a source said last night.

"Buda knew he was a dead man walking and was prepared to attack the fellas that had been identified as working for the Kinahans in the Hutch stronghold."

A major garda operation will be put in place for Molyneux's funeral on North William Street in the north inner city this Saturday.

One of Molyneux's targets is currently in custody at Mountjoy Garda Station after he was arrested in a dawn raid on Monday by gardai investigating the murder of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's older brother Eddie on this day two years ago.

The arrested thug has been the subject of a sinister graffiti campaign by the Hutch mob in recent weeks, in which he was branded "a rat".

Another suspected target for slain 'Buda' was a criminal who is believed to be behind a series of attacks on cars belonging to the Hutch family.

He is also the chief suspect in a savage assault on Ross Hutch, a nephew of 'The Monk'.

"After the murder of Coakley Hutch, a decision was made that a fightback should take place and 'Buda' was enlisted as the main man to carry out hits," a source said.

"Gardai were made aware of what was going on but 'Buda' was murdered before he could even get going on the identified targets."

He was shot up to six times - four times in the chest and twice in the body - by a lone gunman who fled the scene on foot.

Molyneux had been wearing a bullet-proof vest in recent months over fears he would be targeted, but he was not wearing one when he was shot.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and paramedics worked on the gangland target for some time, but he was pronounced dead a short time later at the Mater Hospital.

Officers responding to the reports of a shooting were at the scene within minutes, but there was no sign of the gunman.

The Herald previously revealed that he was "absolutely furious" over the murder of his close pal Coakley Hutch and had even attacked two criminals with a wheel brace in a random attack just 48 hours after the murder.

Depraved

Gardai have been investigating a number of theories in relation to Coakley Hutch's murder, including whether two notorious Coolock brothers, along with one of the capital's most depraved hitmen, were behind the shocking feud murder.

Investigators are probing the theory that the brothers were enlisted for the "job" inside the walls of Mountjoy Prison by a major gangster with a "primary" role in the Kinahan cartel.

The suspect still in custody for Eddie Hutch's murder is also being investigated for involvement in the shocking slaying.

This career criminal and well-known bully is understood to have been top of Molyneux's hit list, had he lived to carry out the twisted plan.

"It is the Kinahan supporters in his own north inner city base that he was going to go after," a source said.

Molyneux was one of Dublin's most feared criminals, with 122 previous convictions. He was also a suspect in four gun murders.