Pat Ward trial: Karen Marie McDonald cleared of murder but guilty of manslaughter

Karen Marie McDonald (37) of McCrea Park, Clogher, wept as the verdict was announced. Mr Ward’s wife, parents and family sat behind her in the court.

She had denied murdering Mr Ward on February 9, 2019, and also denied alternative counts of manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and assisting an offender.

Her partner Niall Cox (27) initially denied murder, but changed his plea. McDonald will appear alongside Cox for sentencing in April.

The 30-year-old victim’s lifeless, half-naked body was discovered in an alleyway. CCTV footage emerged showing Mr Ward’s wife, Ellie Ward, searching the area at 4.40am after he didn’t come home and calls to his phone went unanswered.

Around 90 minutes later, CCTV captured Cox dragging Mr Ward by his arms from McDonald’s home before abandoning him in the alleyway where he was discovered by a couple walking to work. McDonald was also observed briefly carrying Mr Ward's legs, before dropping them and returning indoors.

Pathologist Professor Jack Crane said Mr Ward has been “beaten, kicked, stabbed and struck to the head with a heavy, blunt elongated object”. His “extensive blood loss, combined with the head and chest injuries, were responsible for rapid but not immediate death”.

It is believed a number of weapons were used, including a machete and a bar bell. McDonald insisted she had no role in the attack nor in cleaning up the bloodied scene, instead contending she had acted under duress out of fear of Cox, who had subjected her to violence.

When Mrs Ward called at McDonald’s home looking for her husband, she accepted lying by telling her he wasn’t there, but contended she had to go along with Cox.

Mr Ward had hidden upstairs when his wife called as he didn’t want to go home.

She also accepted telling Mrs Ward to keep quiet as she had two children upstairs and that her husband had left in a taxi for Enniskillen, neither of which were true.

She claimed that, having returned downstairs, Mr Ward attempted to kiss her, which Cox observed and “grossly overreacted”.

Prosecutor John Orr KC told the jury that while McDonald claimed to be petrified of Cox, she never reported his abusive behaviour to police.

Even in the time that she carried Mr Ward’s legs while Cox dragged him by the arms, it was obvious that the injuries were extremely serious, but she did nothing to help, he added.

Closing the defence’s case, Desmond Fahy KC said: “You don’t need to be a solicitor, barrister or judge to see what’s going on here. Niall Cox murdered Pat Ward. Karen McDonald did not murder him and there is no evidence to support a conviction.”

He argued: “She got herself away from it. She had seen before what Cox was capable of. It’s not good enough to suggest she was playing the victim card. She was a victim of Niall Cox. But there’s only one victim in this trial and that is Pat Ward who was murdered by Niall Cox.”

In addressing the jury, Mr Justice Fowler explained the alternative charges and advised while McDonald contends she acted under duress, this isn’t a defence to murder, but can apply in the other charges.

The jury was asked to decide if the evidence against McDonald is applicable for conviction on any or none of the counts.

After deliberating for around two hours, the jury returned a guilty verdict on manslaughter and cleared McDonald of the other charges. She was then returned to custody.

Judge Fowler also thanked Mr Ward’s family for the dignified manner in which they had conducted themselves throughout the entire process.