Five men jailed for assault in which victim was branded with “RAT”

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Special Criminal Court sentenced five men to prison terms ranging from three to eight and a half years for their roles in an attack on Barry Moore. Four had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after Moore refused to give evidence at their trial; Devon Hennessy had earlier admitted false imprisonment and assisting a criminal organisation to inflict serious harm.

The court imposed eight and a half years on Jason Hennessy Jr and Dean Fitzsimons, eight years on Kenneth Fitzsimons, six years on Brandon Hennessy, and three years on Devon Hennessy. Brandon Hennessy’s term is consecutive to a sentence he is already serving. The judge said Devon Hennessy was the only one of the five who tried to intervene and the only one to plead guilty early.

The court heard that Moore was beaten, waterboarded and branded with the word “RAT” during the assault. These were accounts presented in the case; the four men’s original charges included more serious offences, but the State accepted their pleas to assault causing harm after Moore declined to testify.