A 35-year-old man has pleaded guilty to his partner’s murder in Co Clare.
Patrick Ballard, formerly of Ashford Court Hotel in Ennis, denied the murder charge before his trial opened yesterday, but changed his plea this afternoon and will be sentenced tomorrow.
Ballard and Sharon Bennett were drinking together in Ennis on January 28th last year. They’d been seeing other for a few months and both were big drinkers.
Opening his case yesterday, the prosecuting barrister, Dominic McGinn SC, told the jurors it would be alleged that Sharon “lashed out” during a row with Ballard in a covered car park area which was used as a market in the centre of Ennis.
He said the couple then moved on to a nearby public toilet where they used to seek shelter from the rain. Both were in temporary accommodation at the time.
This, Mr McGinn said, was where Ballard launched a violent attack on Sharon. She was taken to hospital but lost her fight for life on February 10th.
Ballard accepted responsibility for her death but denied her murder, claiming he didn’t intend to kill her or cause her serious harm.
The trial entered its second day today and was due to last two weeks until Ballard changed his plea. The jury was discharged and he’s due to be sentenced tomorrow.
