Five men jailed over attack in which Barry Moore was branded with ‘RAT’

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

Five men have been jailed for between three and eight and a half years over an attack on Barry Moore, who refused to testify at the trial of four of them. The Special Criminal Court sentenced Jason Hennessy Jr to eight and a half years, Brandon Hennessy to six years, Devon Hennessy to three years, Dean Fitzsimons to eight and a half years, and Kenneth Fitzsimons to eight years.

The four defendants in the original trial had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted their pleas to that lesser charge. Devon Hennessy had earlier pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning and attacking Mr Moore to enhance a criminal gang’s activities. The sentencing court heard that Mr Moore declined to give evidence because he was afraid.

The attack took place on 12 February 2025 at a house in Blanchardstown. Prosecutors said Mr Moore was beaten and branded with a heated iron bearing the word “RAT”; the allegations were reflected in the guilty pleas and sentencing proceedings. Brandon Hennessy’s six-year sentence is to begin after the sentence he is already serving concludes on 16 February 2028.