Sentence stayed for bare-knuckle boxer

A man who caused a riot when he participated in an organised bare knuckle fist fight which attracted up to 200 spectators in a halting site on the outskirts of Galway city, appeared in court yesterday.

The judge said he would give him a year to prove his fighting days are over.

Several video clips of the illegal fight, which took place at Carrowbrowne Halting Site, on the Headford Road in Galway on June 12th last year are posted on YouTube and show the accused, Patrick “Jaws” Ward (39), engaging in a six-minute fist fight with Barney McGinley.

Ward, who lived in Rahoon, Galway, at the time but who now lives at Danesfort Drive, Loughrea, with his wife and seven children, had pleaded guilty last December before Galway Circuit Criminal Court to committing an affray in that he and his co-accused, McGinley, used or threatened to use unlawful violence towards each other at the halting site.

When McGinley (35), with addresses in Derry and Ennis and who has since absconded to Wales, was initially being charged he had replied: “I came to Galway to box Paddy “Jaws” Ward. I took his title from him today and then they turned into mad men”.

Ward claimed he had not wanted to fight McGinley. But he had been taunted by phone and on YouTube by McGinley to the rematch. Ward had won an earlier fight in 2008. He said his family had also been threatened and he had no choice but to fight.

Sgt Grace Hennessy told the court that when gardaí became aware there might be a pre-arranged fight taking place that day, they set up checkpoints around the city.

Gardaí threatened

When the spectators, some of them children, had gathered at the halting site they blocked the roads by leaving their cars and vans parked in such a way as to prevent gardaí gaining access to the halting site.

When several officers managed to get there they were threatened that if they interfered with the organised fight the crowd would turn on them.

Sgt Hennessy said “Jaws” Ward entered the playground area and began fighting the other contestant.

The crowd, she said, formed a tight ring around them and began jeering and roaring them on.

The fight lasted six minutes, until Ward knocked McGinley to the ground with a punch. A spectator then struck Ward’s father, who fell to the ground and, at that, Ward hit the contestant who was still on the ground.

“This incensed the crowd and chaos erupted. Missiles, such as rocks, golf clubs and wooden stakes were thrown. Gardaí had to draw their batons,” said Sgt Hennessy.

Spectators continued to hurl missiles at each other for about 45 minutes as gardaí tried to direct them out of the halting site. Ward and McGinley had also hurled missiles at each other, she said.

One of McGinley’s supporters had his shoulder slashed during the incident but he never went to hospital or made a formal complaint, she said.

Judge Rory McCabe said the appropriate sentence was three years, given Ward’s participation had caused a riot where the health and safety of ordinary members of the public had been put at risk.

Anger problems

He expressed a doubt that Ward had not offended since 2006, since evidence had been heard he took part in the 2008 fight. However, he said he was willing to give the accused a chance to prove his fighting days had ended and he adjourned sentencing for one year so Ward could engage with the probation service and address his anger problems.