Two teens jailed for 9 years over ‘brutal' murder of gunman Tristan Sherry after Xmas Eve shooting in Dublin steakhouse
TWO teenagers have been jailed for nine years each for the 'brutal' murder of gunman Tristan Sherry in a busy Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve.
Sherry was
Last year, the
They are also the first two defendants to be sentenced after a landmark Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that a life sentence is not mandatory in the case of child murderers and should only be used in exceptional cases.
Three others, including Hennesy Snr's son, Brandon, 22, were jailed for a combined eight years and four months for violent disorder during the
David Amah, 19, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate was convicted of murder following a trial at the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court.
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Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo today sentenced Amah to 12 years with the final three years suspended.
He noted that Amah was 17 at the time of the offence and therefore is not subject to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder.
Mr Justice Naidoo said the
The judge imposed a similar sentence on an 18-year-old also convicted of murder but who cannot be named because he was a minor when he first came before the court.
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Both Amah and the unnamed accomplice stamped on Sherry and stabbed him repeatedly.
Their actions were deliberate, Mr Justice Naidoo said, and took place during a 'sustained and brutal attack on an unarmed, defenceless man lying on the ground'.
Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads
Mr Justice Naidoo sentenced Brandon Hennessy of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, to four-and-a-half years with the last six months suspended for one year.
The judge accepted that the killing of his father was a mitigating factor in Hennessy's favour.
Jonas Kabangu, 19, of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, received a sentence of four years in prison with the final 12 months suspended for two years.
Mr Justice Naidoo sentenced the third violent disorder defendant, an 18-year-old who can't be named because he was a child when he came before the courts, to two years and four months, with the final year suspended for two years.
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Sherry was killed in Blanchardstown attack
Credit: Collect
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The Journal
34 minutes ago
- The Journal
'Remigration': The far right's plan to expel non-white people from Europe
WHITE NATIONALISTS ACROSS Europe have for more than a decade promoted a policy called 'remigration', which despite its innocuous-sounding name is a plan to expel non-white people from the continent. Now, far-right activists and fringe political parties in Ireland are joining that chorus of extremists. In doing so, they are continuing to take inspiration from anti-immigration movements abroad and attempting to introduce their talking points into Irish politics. On 17 May, members of the far-right National Party attended a 'Remigration Summit' in Italy, and at an anti-immigration rally in Dublin city centre on 26 April, they marched down O'Connell Street chanting: 'Save the nation, remigration!' The National Party's only elected representative, Patrick Quinlan of Fingal County Council, repeated the call in a speech he made at the Customs House on the same day. 'Ireland belongs to the Irish people. We must start a policy of mass remigration,' Quinlan told a crowd of thousands gathered along the quays who chanted: 'Get them out! Get them out!' 'We'll shut the borders, we'll house the people, we'll rekindle our ancestors' divine fire,' Quinlan said. The party's youth wing also turned up selling the same message – the mass expulsion of immigrants and those who do not fit their definition of Irishness. Quinlan is not the only Irish politician to call for 'remigration'. Dublin City Councillor Gavin Pepper did so last year on social media , while complaining about crimes committed by Muslims in Ireland. Gavin Pepper and Patrick Quinlan were contacted by The Journal and offered an opportunity to respond. And at the summit in Italy, National Party member John McLoughlin said that while his party does not advocate violence, when 'our people reach breaking point, you most certainly won't be able to depend on the likes of me or any other political leaders here to hold them back'. Opponents of 'remigration', he said, should think twice because 'it's not our last hope to save ourselves, it's their last hope'. The Journal sought to contact John McLoughlin via social media and the National Party, but received no response by the time of publication. Those on the far-right fringe in Ireland are following the lead of more established anti-immigration parties (and right-wing extremist groups) elsewhere in Europe, who have made mainstreaming 'remigration' their goal. In the last year or so, they've begun to see some success. It's great to have young men stepping up, Fair play John and well done on representing the party. — Cllr. Patrick Quinlan (@PQuinlanNP) May 25, 2025 What does 'remigration' mean? Those who call for 'remigration' want to see non-white people expelled from Europe en masse, regardless of their citizenship, legal status or place of birth. This, according to those who support the idea, can be done forcibly or through incentivising people to leave a country voluntarily. The term 'remigration' has long been used in academia to describe people returning to their countries of origin voluntarily, like refugees returning to their home countries after World War II, for example. More recently, the word has been hijacked by supporters of Identitarianism - a pan-European, ethnonationalist movement that began in France in the 2000s. Remigration is the only ticket to make Europe European again! 👉🏻 Get yours now (in the comments below) and join us in that fight on Saturday the 17th of May in Milano, 🇮🇹 Let's make history together ✈️ ! — Remigration Summit 26 (@resum25) March 24, 2025 Identitarians are racial segregationists. They oppose multiculturalism, globalisation and immigration in general, all of which they see as existential threats to the white populations and national cultures of Europe. Like other far-right groups, they are particularly concerned with demonising Muslims and often try to stoke fears of 'Islamisation'. In a 2019 report , the Institute for Strategic Dialogue – a think tank focused on combatting extremist ideologies – described 'remigration' as 'essentially a non-violent form of ethnic cleansing'. A general election poster erected by a grouping of far-right parties, including the National Party Telegram - The irish People Telegram - The irish People If 'remigration' is the goal of white nationalists, the animating fear behind it is the 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory , which casts foreigners – especially Arabs – as an invading force marshalled by global elites whose objective is to wipe out white people. The 'Great Replacement' theory featured on general election posters erected last year by a grouping of far-right Irish parties that included the National Party, the Irish People party and Ireland First. It also came up in the speech delivered by the Nationals Party's John McLoughlin in Italy, when he talked about 'ethnic replacement', casting out 'the invader' and referred to asylum seeker accommodation buildings as 'plantation centres'. He compared British control of the six counties in the north to how 'Germany lost Frankfurt to Turkey, or France lost Paris to Algeria'. As is typical with proponents of the theory, which originated in France, McLoughlin inverted the real history of the French invading and colonising Algeria. He also said those who oppose 'remigration' aim to deny its supporters 'the very heritage of our ancestors, carved in stone and soil'. During the speech, McLoughlin made repeated references to soil, and the phrase 'stone and soil' has echoes of the Nazi slogan 'blood and soil'. He also said the National Party stands for 'excellence over equality'. National Party members represented Ireland today at the Remigration Summit 2025 in Milan. Many thanks to the conference organisers for hosting such a thoroughly well-run event despite interference from multiple state governments and their leftist foot soldiers. Remigration is… — The National Party | An Páirtí Náisiúnta (@NationalPartyIE) May 17, 2025 As Quinlan and McLoughlin did in their speeches, Irish adherents to the theory cast their project as one of liberation, and resistance to the 'invasion' and 'plantation' of Ireland. They do so using language that invokes the Irish struggle against British rule and colonialism. Quinlan said in his speech that Ireland has lost 'that holy fire that blazed in our patriot dead'. Advertisement 'They were able to conquer tyranny because of that fire,' he said. Elsewhere in Europe, white nationalists call for a new 'Reconquista', a reference to the campaign by Christian kingdoms to retake land conquered by Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula centuries ago. Anti-immigration protesters gather at the Customs House in Dublin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Who has called for 'remigration'? 'Remigration' has been promoted by far-right political parties and extremist groups in a number of European countries over the last ten years or so. More recently, it's found expression in Canada, Australia and, most notably, in the United States. Those who promote the idea aim to bring it into mainstream political discourse, which was the purpose of the ' Remigration Summit' that took place in Italy on 17 May. In 2024 the vision of Remigration became the hope of our entire continent. In 2025 we will organize the first Remigration Summit: in May we will gather activists, journalists and politicians to unite our ideas, reach and influence. If we work together, Remigration is inevitable. — Remigration Summit 26 (@resum25) January 1, 2025 The most prominent exponent of the idea in the European context has been the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in this year's federal election with just over 20% of the vote. The AfD has been officially labelled a right-wing extremist group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) and one of its members has been convicted for using banned Nazi-era slogans . The party also has documented ties with neo-Nazi groups. The BfV said the AfD aims 'to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society, subject them to unconstitutional discrimination, and thus assign them a legally devalued status'. Ahead of this year's election, AfD leader Alice Weidel endorsed the idea of 'remigration' at a party conference, where she talked about 'large-scale repatriations'. 'And I have to be honest with you, if it's going to be called remigration, then that's what it's going to be: remigration,' she said, making a U-turn on a topic that had brought intense scrutiny upon her party only a year previous. AfD leader Alice Weidel gives a speech at a party conference in Riesa, Germany. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In 2024, the policy was deemed too extreme by another major player in far-right European politics, Marine Le Pen's National Rally party in France, after a report by Correctiv exposed a secret meeting between AfD members, neo-Nazis and like-minded businesspeople, at which 'remigration' was the main talking point. Reports of the meeting led to massive demonstrations across Germany. National Rally, which itself has Nazi-sympathising roots , and the AfD have since broken off their alliance in the EU Parliament. Another far-right French politician, Éric Zemmour, has called for a ministry of 'remigration' to be established. In Austria, the idea has been promoted by the leader of the Freedom Party (FPO), Herbert Kickl. The party laid out plans to create 'Fortress Austria' ahead of parliamentary elections in 2024, in which it won around 29% of the vote. The FPO has also called for the EU to have a 'remigration commissioner' . FPO leader Herbert Kickl at a party meeting in Vosendorf, Austria. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In Sweden, 'remigration' is government policy, although it does not involve forcing people to leave the country. Sweden does not strip people of their citizenship or refugee status, unlike the more extreme ideas promoted elsewhere in Europe. The Swedish government incentivises people to leave voluntarily by offering them money, something Denmark also does. And then there is the case of the United States since Donald Trump won the presidency for a second time. There, the term has become more common since the 2024 election campaign, when Trump himself used it in a Truth Social post attacking his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris. Trump wrote: 'As President I will immediately end the migrant invasion of America. We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal entries, terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App), revoke deportation immunity, suspend refugee resettlement, and return Kamala's illegal migrants to their home countries (also known as remigration).' US President Donald Trump's Truth Social post about immigration Source: Truth Social While Trump did effectively freeze all refugee resettlement on his first day in office, he also signed an executive order intended to provide white South Africans asylum status. He has also said white people in South Africa are being subjected to 'genocide', a common myth among white nationalists. Since coming to power, the Trump administration has been expelling people from the US under dubious pretexts, some of whom have a right to reside in the country and others who are in fact American citizens . The US president's use of the term 'remigration' was celebrated by those in Europe who have sought to mainstream it, including the well-known Austrian white nationalist Martin Sellner , who hailed it as a 'victory'. 'Remigration has had a massive conceptual career,' Sellner wrote on X. 'Born in France, popularised in German-speaking countries, and now a buzzword from Sweden to the USA!' Last week, the US State Department sent a plan to congress that would transform the government agency that oversees immigration into an 'Office of Remigration'. Implementing 'remigration' as envisioned by extremists like Martin Sellner would involve a state either revoking or breaking its own laws around citizenship. It would also mean withdrawing from international treaties that guarantee people the right to seek asylum. This is why Germany's AfD has been labeled a right-wing extremist organisation, because its intention is to violate the country's constitution and deny citizens their most fundamental rights. Need more clarity and context on how migration is being discussed in Ireland? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank The Journal's FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network's Code of Principles. You can read it here . For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader's Guide here . You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Iranian smugglers, Dubai gangsters and the frantic crew texts as Irish Special Forces boarded
A COURT HAS heard that sanction dodging Iranian shipping ghost fleet companies with connections in Venezuela were heavily involved with a crime gang in Dubai in the funding and organisation of the largest drug shipment ever seized in Ireland. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley led the garda operation that captured the MV Matthew in a daring Army Ranger Wing (ARW) operation off the Wexford and Waterford coast. Halley told of how the case began with intelligence from MAOC-N in Portugal and also from Irish Customs. Garda intelligence specialists also gathered information and the Irish Joint Task Force began to target the MV Matthew. In his evidence he spoke of the bravery of the ARW operators who fought high winds, rolling seas and a ship manoeuvring trying to stop them to get on board. Prosecuting Barrister John Berry read text messages exchanged between the crew members and people in Dubai that told them to run for open water. The court heard that the ARW operators' helicopter had to fly higher than normal and their rope that they used to get aboard the ship was not reaching the pitching metal work below. They were forced to slide down the rope and drop from a height the rest of the way to the rolling deck. He also spoke about how the Customs, on board the Irish Navy Ship LÉ William Butler Yeats had hailed the Matthew repeatedly and directed them to Cork. But the Matthew raced south to international waters. The Captain of the Yeats, Lt Commander Alan Flynn, using the call sign 'Warship 63″, took over control and directed warning shots to be fired. At one point the drug runners told them on the radio 'they don't want problems'. 'I don't like problems either – I want you to change your course. Alter your course to Cork…,' the Captain declared. Halley was giving an outline of the facts of the case in the Special Criminal Court today ahead of the sentencing of eight crew members who have pleaded guilty to their part in the operation. Irish naval vessel LE William Butler Yeats escorts Bulk carrier MV Matthew outside Roches Point, Cork on 26 September, 2023. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Iranian nexus While being questioned by Michael Bowman SC, who is defence counsel for the Iranian captain Soheil Jelveh, Halley said that there is a 'major Iranian nexus to this operation'. He said it was orchestrated by Iranian and transnational organised crime groups. The three judge court viewed a presentation today that outlined the garda investigation that included a slideshow of various text message exchanged between the crew and organisers based in Dubai. Eight men have pleaded guilty to their part in the trafficking of 2.2 tonnes of €152m worth of drugs into the Irish state in September 2023. The court heard that six of the men were onboard the MV Matthew with the drugs and they were to meet two other men onboard the Castlemore, a fishing boat that had been purchased just days earlier by a Dubai based man. The accused from the Matthew are: Iranian Saied Hassani (39), Filipino Harold Estoesta (31), Ukrainian Mykhailo Gavryk (32), Ukrainian Vitalit Vlasoi (32), Iranian ship's captain Soheil Jelveh (51) and Dutch Cumali Ozgen (49). The men on the Castlemore were Ukrainian Vitaliy Lapa (62) and UK Jamie Harbron (31). They are all charged with offences regarding trafficking and assisting an organised crime group to import drugs into the Irish State. Dramatic In dramatic evidence Halley told the court that the accused repeatedly ignored radio calls from the Irish Naval ship LÉ William Butler Yeats and despite the ship firing warning shots towards the Matthew. Advertisement Before that Halley told the court and showed CCTV images that documented Lapa and Harbron's journey to Castletownbere in the company of a man from Dubai and two other people from Scotland. The CCTV was captured from shops and on one occasion inside a McDonalds. They bought the Castlemore and sailed out of Castletownbere – unbeknownst to them, Halley said, they were being watched by a garda surveillance team. The Matthew had sailed across the Atlantic having loaded the drugs off the coast of Venezuela. Halley said that during that trip the ship had used a tactic known as spoofing to hide its actual location from GPS shipping trackers. The weather descended into chaos and the Castlemore began to struggle to maintain any speed. Eventually it would run aground and partially sink off Wexford in the Irish Sea. The two men Vitaliy Lapa and Jamie Harbron were rescued by Coastguard helicopter. They were brought to a the LÉ William Butler Yeats. They would subsequently be arrested but their phones held evidence of messaging apps that contained a treasure trove of information for gardaí. In another dramatic twist the captain of the Matthew, the Iranian national Soheil Jelveh, was airlifted off the ship because of a medical issue. He left with two suitcases, phones and $50,000 US dollars. The gardaí took possession of his phones and would also, once the crew were arrested harvest their phones also. He told the gardaí that his family in Dubai were in danger from the drug gang. The helicopter moves in as the Ranger Wing begin their boarding. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces Frustrated Gardaí discovered the drama contained on the crew's messaging phone apps. There were two specific messaging apps with contacts from the drugs gang commanders in Dubai as well as the crew discussing how to evade capture. The messages showed organisers and the crew becoming frustrated that the Castlemore had sunk but then coming up with a plan to get another vessel to come and meet them, possibly from Dublin. Halley said it showed the reach of the organised crime group and its ability to get another gang cell to come to the aid of the Matthew and offload the ship. The chat groups on the messaging apps also showed images of the Air Corps helicopter and the Naval vessel from inside the bridge. There were discussions about what to do next. They ultimately decided to run for international waters hoping that the Irish military would not follow. But Halley said that the laws of the sea permit an intervention if it is a 'hot pursuit' situation. The messages also showed the loading of the drugs from the ship – using large skip like white bags. When the Castlemore floundered the plan was then to put the drugs in one of the ship's lifeboats and offload it with a crewman aboard and sail to meet gang members on land. That was scrubbed also and as the navy and Ranger wing operators came close there were frantic calls on the messaging apps to burn the drugs in the lifeboat with paint thinner. The court was shown an infrared photograph from an Irish Air Corps PC12 surveillance aircraft showing the heat from the burning lifeboat. Ultimately the Ranger Wing boarded and the ship was taken into Cobh – the court heard that one of the Ranger Wing operators had experience of serving as a naval officer and he put the ship on a course back to Ireland. The Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau arrested the men and they were subsequently charged. Halley will continue his evidence tomorrow before Ms Justice Melanie Greally, Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rappers Kneecap will play Wembley Arena in biggest UK gig despite band member facing terror charge
RAPPERS Kneecap will play Wembley Arena in their biggest UK show — despite one of the band facing a terror charge. The Irish group hope to sell out the 12,500-capacity venue on September 18. 3 Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is charged over the alleged display of the flag of Hezbollah — classed as a terror group by the UK — at a London gig Credit: Reuters 3 The band have sparked controversy with their anti-Israel stance Credit: AFP They also released a poster featuring a Buckingham Palace guard with his uniform painted green, and an Irish tricolour balaclava under his bearskin hat. The band have sparked controversy with their anti-Israel stance. READ MORE ON KNEECAP ROW He is due in court on June 18. Counter-terror cops previously investigated Kneecap after videos emerged allegedly showing the band telling fans: ' In another clip, they appeared to shout ' The group apologised to murdered MPs' families but insisted footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. Most read in Music They say they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah. Tory leader Kneecap perform surprise gig in London hours after rapper Liam O'Hanna, 27, charged with terror offence The Beeb said: 'Decisions will be made in the lead up.' 3 Rappers Kneecap will play Wembley Arena in their biggest UK show — despite one of the band facing a terror charge Credit: Reuters
