Alan Ward sentenced to life for murdering his wife

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Alan Ward was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for murdering his wife by Mr Justice Tony Hunt on 31 January 2022. He also received five years for threatening to kill or cause serious harm to his son Adam Ward and three years for attempting to stab Adam. Both terms run concurrently with the life sentence.

Ward, 54, murdered Catherine Ward, 41, at their home in Greenfort Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on 1 March 2019. The offences against Adam occurred on the same date. Following a trial in December 2021, the jury returned a unanimous murder verdict and ten-to-one guilty verdicts on both charges concerning Adam.

Ward had pleaded not guilty to murder and denied the two charges concerning his son. The proceedings were reported on 31 January 2022.

His lawyers argued that his responsibility was diminished by a mental disorder following a stroke. Defence psychiatrist Dr Paul O’Connell said the stroke’s effects, excessive alcohol consumption and possible post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood trauma may have contributed to his actions. He said the brain injury magnified alcohol’s effects, but left the question of diminished responsibility to the jury.

Under prosecution cross-examination, Dr O’Connell said the killing was unlikely without either alcohol or the disorder, describing both as substantial factors. He agreed alcohol had been a lifelong problem and Ward had been violent towards his wife and others before the stroke.

Prosecution psychiatrist Dr Damien Smith was not satisfied the brain injury explained the killing or sufficiently diminished Ward’s responsibility. He considered intoxication a better explanation for Ward’s behaviour.