Bail Refused for Man Charged in Mary Ward Murder Case in Dublin

Bail has been refused for a 31-year-old man accused of Mary Ward’s murder. A court in Dublin was informed today that Ahmed Abdirahman and Mary Ward shared a “tumultuous relationship”. The victim, a 22-year-old mother of one, was discovered deceased at her residence on Melrose Street in south Belfast on 1 October. She had sustained a laceration to her neck. A piece of broken glass, marked with blood, was recovered from the location. Mr. Abdirahman, who is originally from Somalia, was apprehended in Dublin on 9 October, and his legal proceedings are scheduled to take place in Dublin. Although police officers located Ms. Ward’s body at her home on 1 October, investigators suspect her death occurred on 25 September. On 26 September, Mr. Abdirahman journeyed to Dublin, where he sought medical attention at the Mater Hospital for an arm injury caused by broken glass and a leg injury. He informed medical personnel that he had sustained these injuries by falling on broken glass the preceding night. During Friday’s proceedings at Cloverhill High Court, it was stated that CCTV footage, mobile phone data, DNA samples, and fingerprints purportedly connect Mr. Abdirahman to the offense. His arrest in Dublin city centre followed the use of a Revolut bank card associated with his mobile phone, which was reportedly discovered at the Belfast crime scene. The court was informed that messages retrieved from the phone revealed “a tumultuous relationship” and persistent disagreements between the pair. Upon his initial charging, Mr. Abdirahman informed gardaí (Irish police) that he was “not guilty”. Mr. Abdirahman, who arrived in Ireland in 2019, possesses no prior convictions in either legal jurisdiction. He has also resided in Kenya in the past. Detective Sergeant James King conveyed to the court that gardaí were apprehensive that Mr. Abdirahman might depart the jurisdiction if released on bail. Furthermore, Mr. King pointed out that Ms. Ward’s mobile phone remained unrecovered, raising worries that it had been, or would be, destroyed if Mr. Abdirahman were granted bail. Judge Caroline Biggs stated that the “evidence is extremely strong” against the defendant. She denied bail, remarking: “On the balance of probability (the accused) may seek to evade justice.” She concluded: “I am refusing bail in this circumstances.” This information is subject to Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Details regarding our external linking policy are available for review.