Court views footage of Christmas Eve restaurant attack

The Special Criminal Court has viewed CCTV footage of the moment a man walked into a busy Dublin restaurant last Christmas Eve and shot a man before being disarmed and beaten to death.

Three men are on trial charged with murdering the gunman, Tristan Sherry, at Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on 24 December.

Three others, including a son of shooting victim Jason Hennessy Senior, are accused of violent disorder.

A garda who arrived at the scene shortly after the outbreak of violence told the non-jury court that he saw one of the deceased being carried out on a stretcher and immediately thought he recognised him but could not be sure due to the injuries to his face.

In her opening speech yesterday, prosecution Senior Counsel Fiona Murphy said that Jason Hennessy Snr and a group of people had gathered in the restaurant for Christmas Eve.

Tristan Sherry and a second man entered with their faces covered and hoods up and moved towards the party before Mr Sherry shot and fatally wounded Mr Hennessy Snr.

Ms Murphy said that Mr Sherry was promptly disarmed and attacked by a group using "savage levels of violence" involving kicking, stamping and striking with various objects, including chairs.

Defence legal teams indicated that there are objections to the prosecution providing a narrative of what is seen in the CCTV footage in which it is alleged each of the accused can be identified.

Senior Counsel Anne Marie Lawlor for murder accused David Amah, 18, said the court did not need a garda to provide a narrative where it was possible for "anybody who has two eyes in their head to discern what is visible in the footage".

Five of the six accused have accepted that they were correctly identified.

Senior Counsel Hugh Hartnett, for Brandon Hennessy - the son of Jason Hennessy Snr- raised an objection to the alleged identification of his client.

Detective Garda Chris Durant told Ms Murphy that he was on patrol in the Blanchardstown area last Christmas Eve when he received a call that there had been a shooting at Browne's Steakhouse.

When he arrived, he parked near the entrance where he saw a dark-coloured Hyundai Tucson leave at speed towards the roundabout for the N3 and M50.

Det Gda Durant walked into the restaurant where he saw a man lying on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood and being attended to by members of Dublin Fire Brigade.

Garda Declan Meehan, of Finglas Garda Station, said that when he arrived at the scene he looked at the man with multiple injuries being removed on a stretcher.

He immediately thought it was Tristan Sherry but could not be sure due to the injuries to his face.

Four men are charged with his murder on 24 December 2023.

The three on trial are 18-year-olds Noah Musueni, of Corduff Park in Blanchardstown and David Amah, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road in Donabate, and Michael Andrecut, who is 22 and has an address at Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown.

Wayne Deegan, 26, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, is also charged with murder but is awaiting a report by a neuro-psychologist and will be tried at a later date.

Jonas Kabangu, of Corduff Park in Blanchardstown, and Diarmuid O'Brien, of Corduff Place in Blanchardstown, who are both 18, are accused of violent disorder at the same location on that date.

Brandon Hennessy, 21, of Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15 is also charged with violent disorder.

All of the accused have pleaded not guilty.

Jaures Kumbu, 18, of Brookhaven Grove in Blanchardstown has previously pleaded guilty to removing from the scene the sub-machine gun that was used by Mr Sherry to kill Mr Hennessy.

The gun has not been retrieved.