Clogher murder trial: Accused takes the stand

FOR the first time, the trial into the murder of Pat Ward has heard a version of the events which led to the father-of-four’s death in Clogher four years ago.

The disclosures came as the woman charged with the 30-year-old’s murder took the stand at Dungannon Crown Court to give evidence on her own behalf.

Ahead of this, the jury were informed two alternative charges of manslaughter and assisting an offender have been added to the case against Karen Marie McDonald (37) of McCrea Park, Clogher, which along with murder, she also denies.

Her partner, Niall Cox (27) initially also denied murder but later pleaded guilty, and currently awaits sentencing.

Mr Ward’s badly injured, half-naked body was dragged from McDonald’s house and abandoned in an alleyway, where he was found deceased on February 9, 2019.

He was socialising with Cox in McDonald’s home, however as the night wore on his wife became anxious when calls to his phone went unanswered.

CCTV footage showed her walking in the area dressed in nightwear around 4.40am, searching for him in vain.

Around 90 minutes later, CCTV captured Cox dragging Mr Ward by his arms from McDonald’s house.

McDonald was seen “momentarily” carrying Mr Ward’s legs, before dropping them and returning indoors.

She began her evidence by stating she did not murder, assault or harm Mr Ward at any time.

Her relationship with Cox was abusive, she said and, “I was petrified. He was very violent towards me and very unpredictable.”

When it was pointed out CCTV showed her and Cox walking arm-in-arm, she replied, “In a domestic violence relationship you try to keep the person who is hurting you happy and content.. Being arm-in-arm doesn’t mean you’re a happy couple … I was scared of him. He was very violent. I was just run into the ground and I’d had enough. I didn’t really care much for life by that stage.”

The court heard McDonald told police, “I pray for them (Ward family) every day. I didn’t murder anybody. I don’t hurt people. “ Asked why she said this, she replied, “I felt so sad for them and I still do. It was horrible.”

Cox, she claimed, was “obsessed with knives and machetes”, frequently having these delivered to her home under a false name.

On the night in question, she said Mr Ward arrived at her home with a cut to his forehead which was bleeding.

He then “took his shirt off and asked me to wash it as he didn’t want his wife to see blood on it in case she thought he’d been fighting”.

He and Cox were drinking together and, when Mrs Ward called at the door, “Pat ran upstairs. I heard Niall say Pat wasn’t there. I knew that was a lie.”

She accepted standing over this with Mrs Ward as, “I was completely off-guard. But Niall told her lies and I had to go with this. I had to back it up. If I didn’t, he would have went mad with me. That would have involved violence and torment.”

McDonald admitted Mr Ward was upstairs when his wife called and there had been no violence with Cox at that point.

She suggested Mrs Ward call over sometime as, “I couldn’t tell her at the time due to threat but I would have told her. It was just the fear of what would happen.”

When Mrs Ward left, “Pat came downstairs … Niall went into the kitchen. Pat walked over and leaned down to me. I thought he was trying to kiss me but he was drunk so I told him to f*** off. He sort of intimidated me. I was freaked out.”

McDonald claimed Cox re-entered the room and asked, “What the f***’s going on?”

Words were exchanged and she contended Mr Ward struck Cox to the face, causing him to fall but “he retaliated”.

“It was a physical fight. I went upstairs because I was scared. Niall was on top of Pat, he got the better of him, punching and punching and punching.”

Things quietened and McDonald came downstairs where Mr Ward was sitting against a wall, “With blood coming from his head. I asked if he was okay. Niall asked what the f*** I was talking to him for and told me to get the f*** back upstairs.”

Asked why she did so when a man was injured, she replied, “I was afraid for my life. Niall would have killed me. He has the ability of killing me and I know that.”

After a time McDonald claimed Cox was pulling Mr Ward toward the front door.

“I asked, calmly, what’s wrong with him? He said Pat was unconscious and continued dragging him down the front steps. Pat was making moaning noises. He was trying to talk. I didn’t want him getting dragged. There was no talking to Niall by this stage, so I voluntarily lifted Pat’s legs. I believed he was going home. I meant him no harm. If anything, I was trying to help him.”

She was asked, “What or who prevented you helping?”

“Niall Cox”, McDonald replied. “He told me to get the f*** back in the house and I did. He’d probably have done the same to me or worse.”

She added, “I thought Pat would go home. I never thought he’d be in an alleyway. I should have helped him. I should have rung an ambulance. I should have rung police. I know that.”

Asked what stopped her, McDonald replied, “Every single time I tried to intervene with what Niall Cox was doing I got seriously hurt. I just couldn’t do it no more. I couldn’t be hurt no more … I was under his control.”

The trial continues.