A SECOND MAN charged with the murder of Tristan Sherry, who was killed after fatally shooting another man in a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve, has been sent forward for trial to the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Father-of-one Sherry, 26, from Finglas, was assaulted after carrying out a gun attack on Jason Hennessy Sr, 48, inside Browne’s Steakhouse in Blanchardstown.

Hennessy, from Corduff, Blanchardstown, died in hospital on 4 January.

Four men are accused of murdering Sherry, who suffered blunt-force head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wayne Deegan, 26, accused initially of attacking Sherry, violent disorder and producing a knife as a weapon, had been refused bail in January, and a hearing was told he claimed he acted in self-defence.

In April, however, those charges were dropped after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed Detective Garda Sean Kelly to charge Deegan with murder instead.

He was remanded in custody and appeared again at Cloverhill District Court today, when he was served with the prosecution’s book of evidence.

State solicitor Brian Coveney told Judge Alan Mitchell that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that Deegan would be tried in the Special Criminal Court.

The DPP had furnished a certificate under Section 46.2 of the Offences Against the State Act, stating that in this case, “the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice”.

The judge agreed to grant a return-for-trial order.

He warned Deegan, who remains in custody on remand, that he must inform the prosecution if he intended to use an alibi.

Judge Mitchell also ordered gardaí to hand over interview videos to his lawyers.

Defence solicitor Sandra Frayne received the DPP’s certificate, and the judge acceded to her application to grant legal aid with senior counsel.

Deegan did not address the court and appearance date before the Special Criminal Court has yet to be announced.

It was the second of four murder cases resulting from the investigation into the gunman’s death to reach this stage, and with the same trial venue.

On Tuesday, the youngest defendant, Noah Musueni, 18, of Corduff Park, Corduff, was served with a book of evidence at the Children’s Court.

He was 17 at the time of the alleged offence but could be named because he had recently turned 18 and reached adulthood.

The court had heard the Leaving Certificate student “intends to fight this fully”.

David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin, and Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, are also accused of murdering the shooter.

They were denied bail and are due back in court later this month.

Another youth and three other men are before the courts on related charges, including assault, violent disorder and a weapons offence during the incident.

One of them is Brandon Hennessy, 20, of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, a son of Jason Hennessy Sr.

He has been accused of violent disorder and production of a commercial dustpan and brush with a steel handle capable of inflicting serious injury during the incident.

A court has heard he allegedly “retaliated” after his father was shot.

Another one of them is accused of a firearms offence after he allegedly removed the gun used by Sherry from the restaurant.