Traveller 'shot in back of chest', court told

A Traveller who was murdered at his uncle’s funeral was "shot in the back of his chest" as he tried to run away, a trial heard today at the Central Criminal Court.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC said Dr Marie Cassidy, who was then deputy state pathologist will tell the jury, that the victim died as a result of a "single shot wound to the back of his chest".

"He was shot in the heart and he bled to death. Dr Cassidy will also say that Patrick 'Deuce' Ward’s cause of death was due to a "gun shot wound to the back of the trunk."

Five men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Patrick "Deuce" Ward in May 1999 at Carrownanty Cemetery in Ballymote, Co Sligo.

Mr Michael "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr (aged 53), Mr Martin "Bumbee" McDonagh snr (aged 58), Mr Michael McDonagh jnr (aged 29), Mr Patrick McDonagh (aged 33) and Mr Martin "Spider Bumbee" McDonagh jnr (aged 26) from Hertfordshire in London have all denied the murder of Mr Ward.

Mr "Deuce" Ward, (aged 38), a father of six originally from Galway but resident in Manchester had travelled to Ireland for the funeral of his uncle, also Patrick Ward, in Ballymote, Co Sligo on May 10 1999 when he was fatally shot.

The five have also pleaded not guilty to the possession of a firearm with the intent to in danger life. They also have denied the attempted murder of Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr, Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr and Mr Edward "Ned" Ward on the same occasion.

The accused men also pleaded not guilty to causing violent disorder on the same date.

Mr Buckley, SC, told the jury of seven women and five men that, "This murder arose out of an incident at the funeral of Patrick "Skillet" Ward at Carrownanty Cemetery in Ballymote, Co Sligo."

Prosecuting counsel told the jury that they will hear that "the Wards and the McDonagh’s are intermarried".

"The McDonagh’s are known as the "Bumbee" McDonagh’s and Michael McDonagh snr is known by the nickname 'Hitler'," he said.

Mr Michael "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr and Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr are "first cousins".

The pair, prosecuting counsel said, "know each other for years".

"They have travelled for years together, the met at boxing," Mr Buckley SC said.

Addressing the jury, Mr Buckley said: "An incident broke out at the funeral and Patrick "Deuce" Ward fled, he was running away when he was shot. He was put into a car and was being driven by a family member to hospital. They were stopped by gardaí and he was taken by ambulance to hospital where he later died."

Mr Buckley said two of the State’s most important witnesses are father and son, Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr, and Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr.

Mr Buckley SC told the jury that Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr will testify that on the morning of the funeral he drove with his wife and his father from Galway in a green 99 G Hiace van.

When they got to the graveyard, they noticed a crowd outside the cemetery.

"Himself and his father got out. As they walked towards the crowd, stones were thrown at him and his father," Mr Buckley told the jury.

"His father shouted to 'Hitler Bumbee' McDonagh snr saying, ‘I want to talk to you’." The prosecution claim "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr replied "Kill them, kill them, shoot them".

Mr Buckley said Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr will tell the jury that "all of a sudden six men appeared and five had hand guns in their hands".

The prosecution claim that at least five shots were fired and that "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr shouted, "shoot them, kill them".

Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr and his father, the prosecution claim, turned and ran in the opposite direction finding refuge in the home of Mr Thomas Tigue’s house, the former state solicitor for Sligo.

The prosecution allege that Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr heard "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr say "burn it, burn it" and Mr Ward jnr took this to be his van.

When he returned to his van, the prosecution claim that the windows were broken and a fire had just began.

The prosecution told the jury that on the day of the fatal shooting, there had been a "fairly big Garda presence on the scene around the cemetery, they felt that there might be trouble and had been checking vehicles for weapons".

Mr Buckley, SC, told the jury that gardaí had witnessed someone on the day of the fatal shooting in a "swooping position" in a ditch near the cemetery. Subsequently gardaí found a hand gun in the ditch. "Only one hand gun was ever found", prosecuting counsel said.

In the vicinity of the graveyard, Mr Buckley SC, said "discharged bullets were found".

Ballistics evidence, Mr Buckley SC, told the jury: "will tell you that the gun recovered was not the gun used to kill Patrick 'Deuce' Ward".

The prosecution contend that this case is one where a "joint enterprise took place on behalf of the accused men".

"If several persons act together, every act done by each of them is an act done by all", Mr Buckley told the jury.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill.