Mum of Hutch relative Christopher Coakley made ‘great efforts’ to keep him out of trouble

Paula Coakley was mentioned by Christopher's defence as being involved in anti-drugs work

Christopher Coakley

Christopher Coakley (left), pictured here with Derek Hutch who was shot dead by the Kinahan cartel near Wheatfield Prison in 2018

TWO brothers related to Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch and behind regular mini-crime waves in Dublin city centre were both back before the courts again this week.

Blaine and Christopher Coakley between them have over 200 criminal convictions, many for robberies and attempted robberies to feed their drug addictions.

Christopher appeared at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday where he had pleaded guilty to stabbing a doctor while trying to steal his backpack and e-scooter.

His mother was in court for the sentence hearing and gave her troubled 31-year-old son a hug before proceedings began.

Paula Coakley was mentioned by Christopher's defence as being involved in anti-drugs work and had been part of a delegation to the EU over the issue.

She has worked for the Inner City Drugs Task Force in the past and was described in court as "a prominent anti-drugs campaigner."

Two of her daughters had grown up to lead successful lives, one gaining a degree in law, and she "great efforts" to keep Christopher on the straight and narrow.

Christopher, who is already serving an eight-years, will be sentenced on 19 June while Blaine is currently doing three years for robbery.

The older brother, Blaine, had been due to have his appeal heard on Friday in the Court of Appeal but after consulting with his legal team it was dropped.

Christopher Coakley (left), pictured here with Derek Hutch who was shot dead by the Kinahan cartel near Wheatfield Prison in 2018

His lawyer told the court: "We spoke to Mr Coakley and we seek leave to withdraw."

Paula Coakley has been in court before to support Christopher ten years ago when he hijacked a jeep from a woman while her children were in the back saying she was "so ashamed and sorry for the woman and her children".

She tearfully told the court her son needed residential treatment for his drug abuse because "this is no life for anyone."

At that hearing when Coakley was 21 with 93 convictions, it was heard how he had been in the children's court "two or three times a week."

This week his defence lawyer said that in recent years the longest he has been out of prison is for six months at time and battles with drug and alcohol addiction.

The chaotic and terrifying nature of the hijack attempt in 2019 was much the same as when he suddenly kicked the handlebars of Dr Jordi Ruiz's e-scooter while clutching a scissors in his hand in 2021.

As the doctor, who had just finished a shift in Mountjoy Prison, struggled to hold onto his belongings he suffered seven puncture wounds to his head, neck and abdomen.

The attack was witnessed by people who were able to provide enough information for gardaí to quickly identify Christopher Coakley and later arrest him.

In his victim impact statement Dr Ruiz said the horrific experience left him "hyper alert" and living in a "heightened state of vigilance".

At one of Blaine Coakley's recent criminal trials in Dublin his equally chaotic life, blighted by drug addiction, was heard in court.

In August 2017 he robbed a shop just two months after being released from prison

At his trial he pleaded to be let back into a drug rehab centre, telling the judge that he would "do anything" to go back to the facility in Coolmine, Dublin.

He said he was a different person since he committed the shop robbery and that he wished to address his drug issues.

"Prison just doesn't work for me," he said in court

He had pleaded guilty to robbing €780 from a Gala shop at Holles Street, Dublin 2.

A garda gave evidence that Coakley entered the Gala shop with a bread knife and his face covered and demanded money from the cashier, making off with €780.

His 100 previous convictions include 45 thefts, as well as robberies and attempted robbery and the robbery before the court was committed while on a suspended sentence for theft.

The judge noted that Coakley had left Coolmine himself saying: "You didn't just leave, you absconded."

"That ties my hands quite considerably because I did give you a chance."

A four-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended was imposed on him in 2018.

Last October he got a three-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Court for robbery.

Despite being related to The Monk, Blaine and his brother Christopher were given the cold shoulder by their infamous relative while in Wheatfield Prison last year.

He wanted nothing to do with the brothers after it had previously emerged how Christopher had featured in a video posted on social media singing with four members of the Kinahan Cartel while in Mountjoy.

The brothers are cousins of Derek Coakley Hutch, who was shot dead by the Kinahans at a halting site near Wheatfield in January 2018.