The murder 10 years ago of father of 13 Maurice “Bo Bo” Ward remains unresolved after the jury at the inquest into his death yesterday returned a verdict of unlawful killing by persons unknown.
Mr Ward (56) was shot in his home on Greenfort Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin, on Sunday, April 28th, 2002, in front of his partner. The couple’s five children were also in the house.
Mr Ward was a leading member of the Survivors of Child Abuse campaign, having been physically and sexually abused while a child in the care of St Patrick’s Institution in Cork.
At Dublin Coroner’s Court, his partner Eileen Murphy said: “Bo Bo put his hands up and said ‘You must have the wrong house’. A shot was fired at Bo Bo in the hall. I don’t know where he was hit but he groaned.
“He ran into the kitchen. This person ran in and shot him again.”
She described how Mr Ward had been concerned on the night of his death, having received a number of “weird phone calls” and having spotted a car outside the house.
At about 10.30pm, the couple’s then 10-year-old son Jonathan saw someone running by the front door.
Suddenly a glass panel came crashing in and a gunman wearing a balaclava swung his hand in to open the door. He ordered Ms Murphy to get down on the ground.
Det Garda Insp Richard McDonnell told the court that gardaí exhausted all lines of inquiry into the case. The shotgun was never recovered. They are satisfied that at least two people were involved.
No one has ever been charged with Mr Ward’s murder and the file remains open.