Gerry takes a €1m hit

Judge tells Monk he can pay own fees. Regency attack probably carried out on his say-so'

- ALISON O'RIORDAN

GERRY 'The Monk' Hutch is facing a legal bill which could hit ONE MİLLION euro for his murder trial after a judge ruled there was "a reasonable possibility that nothing was carried out by the Hutch Organised Crime Group without his say so".

Judge Tara Burns said that though the veteran crime figure was cleared of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, The Monk was known to be the "patriarchal figure" of the Hutch gang.

She said despite his acquittal, it was not unfair to deny him his legal costs due to other relevant considerations.

Some legal sources believe the final bill could hit €1m for Hutch, who owns a bolthole on the Costa del Sol, but is thought to be in Lanzarote.

"He was involved in serious criminal conduct underlying the charge against him and he was in possession of the guns from the Regency which he knew had been used to murder David Byrne, Judge Burns stated.