Coakley Hutch and mother lose battle over €3.5k watch

Nathan Coakley Hutch

Andrew Phelan

Mobster Nathan Coakley Hutch and his mother have failed in a court bid to have a €3,500 luxury watch returned by gardai who seized it when he was arrested.

A judge refused to return the watch to Coakley Hutch's widowed mother, who claimed she was its rightful owner and that it had been left to her son by her late husband.

Coakley Hutch, a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, was wearing the Breitling watch when he was stopped driving in west Dublin in 2015.

He first told gardai it was an "heirloom", then that he had won it.

Coakley Hutch, who has since been jailed in an unrelated case, appeared at Dublin District Court along with his mother in a bid to have the watch returned two days after his brother Derek Coakley Hutch was shot dead.

Noeleen Coakley Hutch, the Monk's sister-in-law, from Upper Buckingham Street, brought the application under the Police Property Act to have the watch returned. This week, Judge Brian O'Shea ruled on the case, refusing her application and ordering the forfeiture of the watch to the State.

Judge O'Shea said there was no evidence Ms Coakley Hutch owned the watch and found her son was "either mistaken or lying" in his evidence.

The court heard the watch was seized when Coakley Hutch was stopped by Garda Brendan Eddery on the M50 on January 25, 2015. He was arrested and taken to Finglas Garda Station.

Gda Eddery said Coakley Hutch told him first that the watch was a family heirloom, then that he had won it. The garda did not believe the watch belonged to him and seized it.

After an appearance at Blanchardstown District Court, Coakley Hutch, who "appeared to be vexed" that the watch was not being returned, "followed Gda Eddery around" Blanchardstown, to a cafe, post office and supermarket.

Proof

The garda asked Coakley Hutch to provide some proof he had inherited or won the watch, but he did not do this and there was no evidence of ownership. Ms Coakley Hutch said her late husband had left the watch, along with another watch, to their sons. She said it was under her house insurance policy, but it was not itemised.

Judge O'Shea said two different reasons had been given by Coakley Hutch for where the watch came from and there had been "a lack of clarity and inconsistencies" in his evidence.