Jaures Kumbu awaits sentence for taking gun from Dublin restaurant

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

Jaures Kumbu pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to a firearms offence arising from the Christmas Eve shooting at Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown.

The charge alleged that, on 24 December 2023 at the restaurant on Blanchardstown Main Street, he possessed a sub-machine gun in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable inference that he did not have it for a lawful purpose.

CCTV shown to the court recorded Tristan Sherry and another armed man arriving at the restaurant. Sherry fired at Jason Hennessy Senior, who was holding a young child. Hennessy handed over the child and tackled Sherry, who lost control of the gun. Hennessy was fatally injured and Sherry was subsequently killed at the scene.

The footage showed another man putting the gun on a table before Kumbu picked it up and walked out with it. The weapon has never been recovered.

Defence counsel Garret Baker said Kumbu was probably terrified and argued there could have been some merit in removing the weapon from the chaotic scene. He accepted that Kumbu should have handed it in at a garda station. In a letter to the court, Kumbu apologised and said he had made stupid mistakes out of fear for his life after seeing someone shot.

Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said the three judges would sentence Kumbu at a later date. Kumbu was remanded in custody until 2 December. The proceedings were reported on 4 November 2024.