A gang of five men has been accused of carrying out horrendous acts of torture, a court has heard

Brothers Jason, Devon and Brandon Hennessy, aged 27, 28 and 21 respectively, and father-son duo Kenneth and Dean Fitzsimons, 44 and 24, appeared in court in Dublin last night over the torture and false imprisonment of Barry Moore.

Objecting to their request for bail, investigator Detective Sergeant Mark Murphy explained the horrific nature of their crime. On the evening of February 12, Barry Moore was allowed in to a property in West Dublin by a woman connected to the defendants.

Mr Moore is said to have been speaking with the three brothers when one “snatched” the phone off him and Jason Hennessy “punched [him] in the face” as he demanded he “tell the truth”, reports the Irish Mirror.

Fitzsimmons Sr is then alleged to have produced a five-foot steel bar, which he used to batter Mr Moore seven or eight times across the legs. Brandon Hennessy then took the bar and beat Mr Moore “all over his body”, the investigator told the late-night sitting at Dublin District Court.

It is also alleged that Jason Hennessy used a device to brand the word “rat” on him after heating it on a camping stove. He then told his fellow torturers: “He’ll talk after this.”

Dean Fitzsimons is alleged to have entered the property on a Surron bike and drove over Mr Moore, telling him “I’ve been waiting for you”. He’s further alleged to have attacked him with a steel bar before picking up an axe and beating him with the back of it in an attack that lasted approximately 20 minutes. He is also alleged to have threatened to cut off his ears with a Stanley knife.

Brandon Hennessy is then accused of stating that they should pull Mr Moore’s tracksuit bottoms down and “rape him” with a stick. However, this threat did not come to pass, the court heard.

Detective Sergeant Murphy said the alleged attack is on the “higher end of the scale”, and that Mr Moore is currently in hospital with burns to three or four percent of his body. He told the court it will take many months to establish what the long-term effects are for the victim.

Mr Moore’s injuries were photographed. And while a branding iron has not yet been found, his injuries are as described, the court heard. Detective Sergeant Murphy told the court he believes the attack on Mr Moore had been planned and was not spontaneous.

Judge Paula Murphy refused bail and remanded all five in custody. They are due to appear next before a sitting of Dublin’s Cloverhill District Court.

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