Daryl Mulcahy , 21, from Matt Talbot Court, Derek Nolan, 30, and 55-year-old John Stokes

Three men, including a publican, have gone on trial accused of demanding that a pub in Dublin cease trading and close within 24 hours.

Daryl Mulcahy , 21, from Matt Talbot Court, Derek Nolan, 30, and 55-year-old John Stokes, the owner of the Players Lounge in Fairview, all pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Mr Stokes who now lives in Scotland also denies a charge of assault.

Opening the case this morning, Senior Counsel Paul Carroll said the case centres on two Dublin pubs, the Castle Inn in Summerhill and the Players Lounge in Fairview, which was owned and run by Mr Stokes.

Shane Simpson was a barman at The Castle Inn, which was operated by his brother, and the prosecution alleges that Mr Stokes went there three times on 13 March 2011.

At 8.30pm that evening, the jury was told that Mr Stokes jumped out of a taxi and told Mr Simpson who was outside that he was looking to speak to his brother and said: "I want you'se out of there and if you're not gone by Paddy's Day, you'se and the pub are gone."

The jury was told he also punched Mr Simpson in the chest.

The prosecution also alleges that Mr Stokes later came back with three other men, including the other two accused Mr Mulcahy and Mr Nolan.

The jury was told that Mr Stokes said to Mr Simpson "you're fronting the pub for O'Reilly, we're giving you 24 hours to close the pub down, 24 hours or that's the end of you".

All three men deny the charges. The case continues.