Murdered Traveller's niece gives evidence

The niece of a man shot in the back at a family funeral has said she was "in fear of her life" when gunmen opened fire outside a Sligo cemetery, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Mrs Shirley Ward (aged 24) told the jury she was "terrified" when she saw six men with guns as she sat in the passenger seat of her husband's Toyota hi-ace.

Mrs Ward was attending the funeral of her uncle who died unexpectedly from a heart attack. Before the hearse arrived from Dublin, she claims gunmen opened fire at the Sligo graveyard on May 10, 1999.

Mr Michael "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr (aged 58), Mr Martin "Bumbee" McDonagh snr (aged 53), 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 Patrick "Deuce" Ward.

The five also deny the attempted murder of Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr, Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr and Mr Edward "Ned" Ward on the same date.

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 in Ballymote, Co. Sligo on May 10, 1999 when he was fatally shot.

Mrs Ward told the jury she drove with her husband Paddy "Jaws" Ward jnr and his father in a green Hiace van on the morning of the funeral in Ballymote. When they arrived at the cemetery, Mrs Ward claims 100 members of the McDonagh clan met them. A fracas broke out and the deceased was shot dead and three other men including her husband were also shot at by a number of gunmen.

Mrs Ward told the jury that when her husband and father-in-law got out of the van she heard gun shots. Then she said something "like a bullet" came through the windscreen of the Hiace van, prompting her to run.

As the mother-of-one ran towards a nearby house for safety, she said she could "still hear gun shots".

Under cross-examination, Mrs Ward admitted that an uncle had warned her husband that there was a crowd of McDonagh’s at the graveyard. Mrs Ward, who was then 19 years old, said they continued driving to the cemetery because she believed her young brother Michael was in danger.

She said they "assumed" her brother was in the middle of the McDonagh crowd and "might be in trouble".

When asked why there were variations in her different statements, Mrs Ward said she was "trying to forget that day". "I am terrified of being in this room, I hate speaking about it," she said.

Defence counsel, Ms Ann Roland BL suggested to the state witness that the Ward family had "plenty of enemies" at the graveyard on the morning of May 10, 1999. Mrs Ward replied: "I can’t say that."

Ms Roland went on to outline a litany of attacks that took place within and against the extended Ward family in England leading up to the fatal shooting.

Admitting that her father was Mr John "Chawkie" Ward, the witness said she had "heard something" about a fight that took place in a London pub one and a half years before the incident.

The defence-counsel claimed Mrs Ward’s father took out a Samurai sword in the pub and caused serious injuries to members of the Reilly family. At least 20 members of that same family were allegedly at the graveyard entrance in May 1999.

Ms Roland claimed that Mrs Ward’s father had "numerous convictions for theft, larceny and domestic violence" and that a warrant is out for his arrest in the UK

Another family related to the Reillys allegedly sought revenge for the Samurai incident by attacking Mrs Ward’s younger brother Michael leaving him with 900 stitches.

Ms Roland also suggested to the witness that her father "slashed" the "Ground-shaker" McDonagh in the face with a knife.

"My father nearly lost his leg. I know the 'Ground-shaker' attacked my father," Mrs Ward said.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill at the Central Criminal Court.