choc horror Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch's niece stole box of chocolates from Dublin cafe, court told

A NIECE of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch with more than 400 criminal convictions has been fined for stealing a box of chocolates from a Dublin cafe.

Petty thief Donna Hutch (52) admitted the latest offence when she appeared in Dublin District Court.

Judge Bryan Smyth fined her €200.

A garda told the judge that Hutch, with an address at a city hostel, went to Butlers Chocolate Cafe, Henry Street on December 7, 2020.

She took a box of chocolates worth €21.45, placed it under her jacket and left the cafe without paying.

She was later identified on CCTV footage, the garda said.

The chocolates were never recovered.

The garda agreed with defence solicitor Philip Hannon that the accused gave no difficulty when charged and while Hutch had contested the charge, he had been notified in advance of the hearing that she was now pleading guilty.

The accused had 423 previous convictions, many of which were for theft, as well as for failing to appear in court, the garda said.

Most recently, she was jailed for 10 months in January for theft with a consecutive suspended sentence.

Hutch accepted she was "well known" to the court and gardaí for decades.

She had come from a very difficult background and fell into drug addiction in her teens.

Although she dealt with her drug problem, she became cross-addicted to alcohol, the court heard.

Hutch then fell back into drug addiction, which had been the cause of "very reckless behaviour."

She became involved in "chronic repeat offending" and ended up back in Mountjoy's Dóchas Centre, where she was now serving a sentence.

Hutch was a "very affable person" when not dealing with addiction, Mr Hannon said.

The judge said he would fine the accused, payable forthwith, and with a five-day prison sentence in default.