'SITTING DUCK' WILL ALWAYS BE LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER

Escape from Ireland with cartel offering €1m to take him out. Further threat to his freedom due to ongoing garda probe

- NICOLA DONNELLY

REGARDED as the Kinahan cartel's No 1 target, Gerry "The Monk" Hutch will spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder - no matter where he decides to spend his new-found freedom.

And with a live threat on his life, The Monk - who turned 60 last week - is highly unlikely to spend any time living in Dublin in the fear he will be seen as a "sitting duck".

His face is so well-known here, blending in in another country would be better for his safety.

After the murder of David Byrne, the Kinahans had a reputed bounty of €1m on Hutch's head. And that bounty is likely to be still in place.

Hutch also faces a further threat to his freedom as there is an ongoing investigation into allegations he directed the activities of the Hutch Organised Crime Gang.

Last year he was taken from his cell by gardai from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and quizzed in connection with this probe.

A file is being prepared for the DPP. The offence carries with it the possibility of a life sentence.

However, it is not known whether gardai will be in a position to charge Hutch with this offence now that he has been cleared of the murder of 34-year-old David Byrne.

He was one of Ireland's most wanted fugitives who fled to Lanzarote following the shooting of David Byrne and managed to live his life undetected for nearly five years before his high-profile arrest.