A post-mortem examination showed that the man shot at a Traveller funeral in Co Sligo in 1999 had been shot in the back, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.
A doctor also told the trial that the victim had an empty gun holster on his hip when he was brought to hospital. Dr Terence Rooney told the jury that he pronounced Mr Patrick "Deuce" Ward dead at 3.15 p.m. at Sligo General Hospital on May 10th, 1999 after resuscitation failed.
Under cross-examination, Dr Rooney said the deceased man had an "empty holster on his right hip". He said, "it appeared to be a holster for a gun".
Details of the post-mortem were given by the State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.
Both doctors were giving evidence at the trial in which five members of the one family have denied the murder of Mr Ward (38) at Carrownanty cemetery, Ballymote, Co Sligo before the funeral of his uncle.
Mr Michael McDonagh snr (58), Mr Martin McDonagh snr (53), Mr Michael McDonagh jnr (29), Mr Patrick McDonagh (33) and Mr Martin McDonagh jnr (26) from Hertfordshire in England have all denied the murder of Mr Ward.
The five also deny the attempted murder of Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr, Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr and Mr Edward "Ned" Ward on the same date.
The trial continues.