Convicted killer Derek Hutch struck Ukrainian grandmother with high speed bike
Eimear Dodd
A convicted killer who was driving at high speed on his motorbike struck a Ukrainian grandmother three years ago, leaving her with serious injuries.
Derek Moore (AKA Hutch) of Champions Avenue, Dublin 1 pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm to Valentyna Linck on May 27th, 2022 at Amiens Street.
Moore (42) pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving and a count of driving under the influence of an intoxicant on the same date. Further counts of dangerous driving are to be taken into consideration by the court.
Moore has 44 previous convictions including manslaughter, assault causing serious harm, attempted robbery and possession of drugs. His previous convictions also include eight for dangerous driving and one for endangerment.
He was disqualified from driving for five years at the time of this offence, the court was told. The motorbike was insured and in good working order, but the tyre tread depth on the back wheel was below the legal limit.
Moore was seen speeding and doing wheelies on the motorbike in Dublin's north inner city before the collision, which occurred around lunchtime on a Friday afternoon. His speed shortly before he struck the injured party was assessed at between 150km/hr and 158km/hr.
Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday that the State's case is that there was a sequence of dangerous driving incidents by Moore before he struck the victim.
She told the court that Ms Linck is a Ukrainian citizen and grandmother who came to Ireland after the start of the war. She was crossing Amiens Street with her daughter and a friend near the railway bridge when Moore struck her.
Ms Linck suffered significant facial and head injuries, as well as leg and arm fractures. She had a stroke and a brain bleed as a consequence of the collision. She spent one month in a coma and required several surgeries.
The injured party required significant rehabilitative treatment following the collision. She is in constant pain, sustained facial scarring, is no longer able to work and is not as independent as she used to be, the court was told.
Moore was also taken to hospital following the collision. Luigi Rea BL, defending, said his client suffered back injuries.
Blood sample
A blood sample taken from Moore tested positive for cannabis, with 19.2ng – almost four times the legal limit of 5ng/ml - identified.
He told gardai he had been smoking between two and four joints of cannabis a night since his release from prison 10 months earlier, but denied smoking cannabis on the day.
CCTV footage was played to the court showing Moore's driving in the Summerhill area in the 50 minutes before the collision occurred.
Judge Pauline Codd said Moore's driving was “completely outrageous” and created a high level of danger to the public.
She agreed to a defence application to order a probation report and adjourned the case for finalisation on March 23rd next year.
The judge remanded Moore on continuing bail and directed weekly urinalysis.
Detective Sergeant Shane Noone gave evidence that Moore was seen driving his motorbike with one wheel in the air for 71 metres at a speed of 99km/hr in a 50km/hr zone prior to the incident.
He did a U-turn at the junction of Summerhill and Gardiner Street, with Det Sgt Noone saying it is believed that Moore did this using the pedestrian crossing.
Moore did several more wheelies, including one for 71m at a speed of 106km/hr. He also undertook a bus, weaved through traffic and went through a red light.
Shortly before the collision occurred, Moore undertook another bus and stopped briefly to engage with two male pedestrians.
High speed
He did another U-turn at the Five Lamps junction, then accelerated back along Amiens Street at high speed.
Moore's speed at one point on Amiens Street was calculated at 151km/hr in a 50km/hr zone. He then drove through a red light on the street at speeds of 150km/hr to 158km/hr before the collision.
The motorbike remained upright and continued until it collided with two other vehicles stopped on the opposite side of the road at a red light at the Talbot Street-Amiens Road junction.
Emergency services deemed the injured party's injuries to be life-threatening at the scene and she was rushed to the Mater Hospital.
Ms Linck is no longer living in Ireland. Det Sgt Noone said she estimates medical costs of €140,000 and a loss of income of around €110,000.
CCTV
A victim impact statement was handed to the court, but not read aloud.
The court heard Amiens Street was shut for a period of time while a forensic examination was carried out.
Moore's home was later searched by gardai, with CCTV, motorbike boots and other items seized.
He was voluntarily interviewed by gardai in August 2022, during which he spoke about being paranoid and feeling there was a threat to his life.
He told gardai he was having issues with the throttle of his bike. An examination of the bike's throttle identified it was working normally.
Moore told gardaí he was getting a “vibe” from two men he met moments before the collision. He said he couldn't hear what they were saying and that made him paranoid.
He identified himself on CCTV and said the driving shown was “stupidity” and “embarrassing”. He apologised to the woman, gardai and anyone offended by his behaviour on the day.
Moore has been on bail and has not come to garda attention except for one public order matter, the court was told.
Det Gda Noone agreed with Mr Rea that his client was apologetic when interviewed and expressed his hope that the injured party would make a full recovery.
It was further accepted that there was no connection between the parties before this incident. The garda agreed that several of Moore's family members have died in “horrible circumstances” including his older brother Gary, who died aged 34.
Moore has two children and is in a relationship. He has some work history in construction, Mr Rea told the court.
A letter of apology, a letter from his GP and other documents were handed to the court.
