The son of John Ward, who was shot dead by Mayo farmer Pádraig Nally two years ago, has been sentenced to three years in prison with the last year suspended for repeatedly stabbing a lifelong friend at a drink-fuelled house party during St Patrick's Day celebrations last year.
Father of one John Ward jnr (22), Carrowbrowne halting site, Headford Road, Galway, who is currently serving an 11-month sentence for motoring, theft and fraud offences, pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to stabbing Eddie Corcoran (18), also of Carrowbrowne halting site, at least four times in the abdomen, chest and arm with a kitchen knife at a rented house in The Meadows, Ballybrit, Galway, on March 18th last year.
Conal McCarthy, defending, said his client, who was the third eldest of 11 children, had been deeply traumatised by the circumstances surrounding his father's death a few years ago and he was now estranged from his mother, who had gone to live in Co Longford with most of his siblings.
Mr McCarthy said Ward had suffered from ongoing psychiatric problems since his father's death and he was taking Prozac and getting Lithium injections on his release from the psychiatric unit at University College Hospital, Galway, shortly before this attack took place.
The barrister said Ward had made several attempts to take his own life since his father's death and his arms and wrists had the scars to prove this.
Garda Seán Kelly said the stabbing occurred a few hours after Mr Corcoran had called to visit Ward on St. Patrick's night, 2006.
He said they had been drinking all night before a dispute arose between them in the back garden in the early hours of the following morning. Ward stabbed his victim at the side of the house with a kitchen knife.
He later admitted his guilt and brought gardaí back to the scene, showing them where he had thrown the knife over a wall on to an adjacent dual carriageway.
The court heard Ward had 32 previous convictions for road traffic offences, two for burglaries, two for public order offences, two for assaults on gardaí and one for possession of a small quantity of drugs.
Mr Corcoran underwent surgery to repair a puncture wound to his bowel and his spleen was also perforated in the attack. He told the court he was left with permanent scarring to his chest and he suffered recurring nightmares where he saw Ward standing over him with a knife in his hand, grinning at him.
He said he also feared for his safety once Ward was released from custody.
The victim said he had grown up with Ward at the Carrowbrowne halting site but they were no longer friends and their families now avoided each other.
Judge Raymond Groarke imposed a three-year sentence with the last year suspended which he backdated to March 1st, when Ward was taken into custody.
The judge said he accepted the death of Ward's father in such tragic circumstances had an extremely traumatic effect on the accused and that he required ongoing psychiatric treatment since, but he said that neither drink nor the loss of his father could be blamed for Ward's criminal behaviour on the night.
Judge Groarke said he accepted the assault was not premeditated and was a spontaneous reaction to something that may have been said, but the fact that multiple stab wounds had been inflicted, some quite serious, had only made the matter worse.
He reminded Ward that if he was taking such medication as outlined by his counsel, he should not have been drinking in the first place.
Judge Groarke directed that on his release from prison, Ward come under the supervision of the Probation Service for two years, undergo any medical treatment deemed necessary and stay out of trouble.