BRINK OF A BLOODBATH

Retired officer's team halted Kinahan's revenge >> Guns & ammo primed for attack seized by top squad

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There was a peace deal after a failed murder bid on Daniel Kinahan by Gary Hutch in Spain in 2014-but the Kinahans reneged and murdered him.

He says: "I would say (the Regency) was to protect themselves. They felt under threat and they had to hit back.

"They also felt they had been double crossed in deals that were struck. Then for Gary to get murdered after a deal had been done - so that was a double cross.

"I think they were saying, 'We can't deal with these people anymore."

"[Regency] was driven by revenge. Daniel was lucky to get away out there. They are not going to take that lying down. It's as simple as that. Pure revenge.

"David was a trusted member of their crew - it was motivated totally by pay back.

"The narrative that went around coming from that side of the thing was that the Hutch people were rats. If you want to kill people for want of a better word or exterminate them you have to present them as being the lowest of life.

"There was a lot of stuff being spread around that these people were just touts and rats and they had to be got rid of. Anyone was fair game for the Kinahans."

CRACKDOWN

The Kinahan campaign of violence led to a massive crackdown by gardai - with more than 70 murder bids foiled and a similar number of members of the gang jailed.

It saw Daniel Kinahan, his father Christy and brother Christopher flee to Dubai.