Court refuses bail to man who shot Charlie Chawke

The Court of Criminal Appeal has refused to grant bail to a Dublin man sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting publican Charlie Chawke during a robbery.

Today the CCA ruled that Frank Ward, who is seeking to have his convictions quashed, was not entitled to bail because had failed to display to the court that there is a strong chance that his appeal would succeed.

In 2007 Frank Ward (aged 55), a married father of three of Knockmore Avenue, Tallaght, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in the incident outside Mr Chawke's restaurant and bar, The Goat Grill in Goatstown, south Dublin, on October 6, 2003.

Mr Chawke was seriously injured in the shooting and his right leg was amputated five days later.

Ward, who defended himself, had changed his plea to guilty to the charges before him on the second day of his trial.

Ward has appealed those convictions and claimed before the Court of Criminal Appeal that the convictions are "unlawful."

The grounds of his appeal were that he had changed his plea from not guilty to guilty because he did not have confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary, and because medication he was on had been interfered with.

Ward also claims that he was unwell during the course of the trial. The DPP opposed the application for bail.

Today the CCA of Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns presiding sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel Herbert agreed with the DPP and refused to grant Mr Ward bail.

A date for the hearing of the appeal will be fixed later this year.