Four men arrested and charged in connection with an attack on a man whereby the word "rat" was allegedly branded on his face and body pleaded guilty today to a less serious offence than the charges they had originally faced.
The development came at the Special Criminal Court this afternoon, after a witness in the case had refused on two occasions to give evidence or answer questions in court and had to be arrested so the case could proceed.
Barry Moore made a statement to gardaí, alleging he had been beaten, waterboarded, threatened with rape and had the word "rat" branded on his face and body in a shed at the back of a Dublin home in February of this year.
However, he refused to testify on both Friday and Saturday last after the trial commenced, and told the judge he understood the potential consequences of his decision and that he could go to prison.
Jason Hennessy Jr, 28, and 22-year-old Brandon Hennessy, of Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, along with 45-year-old Kenneth Fitzsimons and 25-year-old Dean Fitzsimons, of Castlecurragh Vale, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 were today charged with one offence, assault causing harm under Section 3 of the non-fatal offences against the person act.
The offence is alleged to have happened on 12 February 2025, at a house on Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown in Dublin 15.
New charge comes from Director of Public Prosecutions
The new charge was preferred today following a direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions Catherine Pierse.
Each of the four men stood in the dock and replied "guilty" when the new charge of assault causing harm to Barry Moore was put to them.
The court was told that the evidence will be given on "a full facts basis" and Barry Moore has been offered the opportunity to make a victim impact statement.
All four men had previously been charged with the more serious offences of false imprisonment, intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm, and with participating in or contributing to the activity of a criminal organisation by assaulting Mr Moore, causing him serious harm.
False imprisonment and assault causing serious harm carries a maximum sentence of up to life in prison.
In his opening speech on Friday, prosecuting counsel Garnet Orange said the State alleges that brothers Jason Hennessy Jr and Brandon Hennessy, as well as Kenneth Fitzsimons and his son Dean Fitzsimons, assaulted Mr Moore in a shed at the back of Jason Hennessy Jr's home on Sheephill Avenue in Blanchardstown.
During the alleged assault, counsel said the group accused Mr Moore of giving information to people with whom the accused were "not friendly". He said they used a "branding" object with the letters R-A-T on it, which they heated on a gas stove before using it to brand Mr Moore's face and body.
Detective Garda Stuart Gleeson told the trial that he interviewed Mr Moore the day after the alleged assault. He noted various injuries on Mr Moore's body, including the word "rat" burned into both sides of his face, forehead, stomach and back.
Det Gda Gleeson also read out Mr Moore's statement in which he alleged that each of the accused had assaulted him for more than one hour in a shed at the back of Jason Hennessy Jnr's home.
A fifth man, 29-year-old Devon Hennessy from Edgewood Lawns, Corduff, Dublin 15 has already pleaded guilty to two offences.
He admitted falsely imprisoning and attacking the victim in a house on Sheephill Avenue in Blanchardstown for the purpose of enhancing the activities of a criminal gang
All five will be sentenced in January.
The court was also told there was now no basis for continuing to detain Barry Moore in custody, and he will now be released from prison.
