Man knocked Ballinrobe man unconscious, then robbed him

Man knocked Ballinrobe man unconscious, then robbed him


A man who was coming off heroin and punched and kicked a man on the ground in an unprovoked attack at Ballinrobe, rendering him unconscious before robbing him, appeared in Castlebar Circuit Court last week.
Witnesses saw the injured party, Simon Connolly, 35 Hazel Court, Convent Road, Ballinrobe being given out to by an individual at Abbey Street car park, Ballinrobe during the early hours of Monday August 26, 2008.
The accused, Kenneth Ward with an address at Cnocnacoille, Ballybane, Galway, had been drinking with a friend Thomas Conroy when he approached Mr Connolly looking for a cigarette.
Witnesses said the married man was in a highly anxious and intoxicated state.
Geraldine Flannery, who lived in an apartment in the Church View area, said she heard noise outside her residence and saw two men speaking to Simon Connolly. One of the two men, now known to be Kenneth Ward was wearing a striped top and said to be “going mental”.
Two eye witness accounts confirmed Kenneth Ward proceeded to hit Simon Connolly, knocking him to the ground and moments later he was kicking him on the ground. The injured party was rendered unconscious in the frenzied attack.
After the assault, Ward was overheard turning to Conroy and exclaiming, “Help me, I think I killed someone”. He then ransacked Mr Connolly’s pockets taking his wallet which contained €30, a mobile phone and a packet of cigarettes.
Ward visited Ballinrobe Garda Station hours after the assault and robbery wearing the same top which appeared on the CCTV immediately after the attack on Mr Connolly.
Ward had 33 previous convictions. Defence barrister Eoin Garavan said the defendant had a serious problem with alcohol and drugs. He was coming off heroin at the time of the incident and he was having personal difficulties in regard to his relationship with his wife. He is now trying to get his life in order.
Judge Tony Hunt adjourned the case until October 28 next and remanded Ward in custody. He asked for a probation report and indicated that he may be willing to consider suspending a three year prison sentence for a period of five years should the probation report be favourable.