Courts / Dublin / Report

Closing speeches in murder trial of husband accused of stabbing wife to death

Summary

In the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution's barrister Bernard Condon SC delivered a closing speech urging the jury to convict Alan Ward, 54, for the murder of his wife Catherine Ward, 41, on 1 March 2019. Condon argued that Ward's intent to kill or cause serious injury was clear from the nature of the stab wounds, the history of violence dating back to 2002, and the circumstances of the attack. He highlighted that Ward had previously threatened and attempted to stab his son Adam, and that Ward's post‑incident statements to Gardaí, including a "I'm fucked" remark, indicated awareness of his wrongdoing. Condon dismissed the defence of diminished responsibility on the grounds of a 2017 stroke, noting that intoxication, not a mental disorder, better explained Ward's behaviour. He urged the jury to consider whether Ward was an honest narrator, concluding that the evidence supported a conviction beyond reasonable doubt. The judge's charge was to be delivered the following day. Alan Ward pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Closing speeches in murder trial of husband accused of stabbing wife to death. Charges or matters: the murder of his wife Catherine Ward (41) at their home on Greenfort Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on March 1, 2019; an offence of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to his son Adam Ward, intending him to believe that the threat would be carried out and has pleaded not guilty to attempting to stab Adam on the same date. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• March 1, 2019 Incident
• 2021-12-15 Publication

Why: Furthermore, the barrister said the person may regret it because of the consequences to that person and of the consequences to themselves. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report