An inquest has heard that a man perished after incurring fatal gunshot injuries to his throat and upper body in the course of a mob strike in a bustling eatery on Christmas Eve, last year. The victim, Jason Hennessy snr aged 48, a father to seven children and grandfather to ten, resided in Corduff, west of Dublin. His life slipped away in the Mater hospital on January 4th, precisely 12 days post the offence that took place in Browne’s Steakhouse, Blanchardstown. The assailant, Tristan Sherry, 26, was subdued on the spot, but was fatally harmed in the process.
During the inquest led by Dr. Clare Scott, the district coroner of Dublin, on Wednesday, the late individual’s daughter, Shelby Maher, 26, identified her father’s remains. She acknowledged in her statement that she visited the intensive care ward of Mater hospital in the afternoon on January 4th to identify the remains to Sgt Stephen Broderick.
At the brief inquest’s close, Veronica, the deceased’s grieving widow, bluntly blamed some of the gardaí present saying, “you are responsible for my husband’s death,” and seemingly ignored their attempts to console her.
Further testimony was provided by Sgt Broderick, who stated that Dr. Jo Kelleher declared Mr. Hennessy’s death at 11.44am on the said morning. The deceased’s body was secured, and the guardianship transferred to the gardaí from Blanchardstown for further criminal investigation into the murder.
An application for a six-month postponement of the inquest was put forward by Det Insp Liam Donohoe of Blanchardstown Garda Station, stating the ongoing criminal investigation into Mr Hennessy’s killing as the reason. Dr. Scott approved the plea, asserting it to be “reasonable”, and the next hearing has been scheduled for April 8th, 2025.
Dr Scott, addressing the deceased’s family, loved ones, and local law enforcement officers, communicated that while the inquest is set to proceed at a later time, she was prepared to officially state the cause of death. The death had resulted from gunshot wounds to the neck and upper torso, as she confirmed. This confirmation would enable the family to acquire a death certificate. The cause of death was established following a postmortem on Mr Hennessy’s remains executed by Dr Sally Anne Collis, the State Pathologist.
The authorities have the notion that Mr Hennessy’s shooting was part of an extended feud between rival groups in the western and northern parts of Dublin. This incident has led to ongoing separate murder investigations, with several individuals charged related to their supposed part in the Christmas Eve restaurant events.
Although Sherry was presumed to be the one behind the lethal assault on Mr Hennessy, he was likely assisted by several colleagues on the occasion, according to the police. Sherry, a petty criminal from Finglas, aimed to strike Mr Hennessy or some of the men he was dining with. The weapon used by Sherry, a machine pistol, is still missing.
During Mr Hennessy’s memorial service in January, attendees were informed that he had sensed the impending peril and stepped up to protect others, turning him into a true hero during the Christmas Eve assault.