Man jailed for violent Longford hit and run incident that occurred as part of feud over 'photograph'

A man has been jailed for eight months for his involvement in a violent hit and run shooting incident which occurred in a Longford housing estate nearly three years ago.

Michael ‘Jnr’ Ward (35), of 30 Palace Crescent, Longford, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving causing harm, failure to stop a vehicle in circumstances where the vehicle had caused injury, and failure to keep the vehicle at the scene of the occurrence of an injury.

Two other men connected to the incident, Jamie Dinnegan (33), of 18 Grian Ard, Ardnacassa, Longford and Noel Ward (26), of 8 Spring Lawn, Longford pleaded guilty to a charge of affray earlier this year, shortly before a jury trial was due to commence,

Dinnegan was subsequently jailed for 18-months and Noel Ward was handed a 14-month prison sentence last July.

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During that hearing Judge Connolly requested a probation report be compiled on Michael Jnr Ward and he appeared for sentencing on Tuesday.

Detective Sergeant Keelin Brennan told the court that, at 12.30pm on January 24, 2022, Gardaí received reports that there were 20 to 30 members of the Keenan and Stokes families engaged in an altercation in Palace Crescent.

Gardaí called to the scene several times throughout the day in an attempt to diffuse the situation but, at 4.30pm, a number of 999 calls were received, reporting gunshots and suggesting a person was “lying on the ground dead” after being hit by a van.

A number of Gardaí, as well as members of the Armed Support Unit and the Roads Policing Unit arrived on the scene at 4.48pm and found Jamie Dinnegan was lying on the ground, wearing just a vest and boxers, with other people “roaring and shouting” in the area.

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Mr Dinnegan had bruising to his face and scrapes on his leg and Gardaí were informed that he was driven at by a white van that hit him. He was taken to Mullingar Hospital in an ambulance and informed Detective Garda Chris Murray in the back of the ambulance that he’d been hit by Michael Jnr Ward.

Two pieces of video footage were played for the court.

In one video, a shot was heard, but Det Sgt Brennan told the court “we believe three shots were fired”.

Another video showed a van cutting across the green from the side where the Keenan family resides, towards where the Stokes family lives, the court heard.

“Michael Ward is driving the van and Jamie Dinnegan is about to be struck. Noel Ward is in blue making good his escape away from the van,” Det Sgt Brennan narrated, as the footage was played for the court.

“Jamie Dinnegan is thrown into the air and Noel Ward in the blue, at the end of the video runs over to pick something up and the van makes good it's escape down Ardnacassa Avenue.”

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There is a “complex” background to the feuding between the families, Det Sgt Brennan explained.

“There was an altercation on New Year’s Eve, where a member of the Keenan family refused to step into a photograph where there was a member of the Stokes family.

“That was taken as an insult, that the Keenans thought they were above the Stokes’.

There were tit-for-tat incidents in the lead-up to this incident,” he said.

He informed the court that the families are all intermarried and that there were “suggestions of fist fights to settle the score” but “I don’t believe that, to this day, it has been settled”.

There have been no incidents since, he added, though he noted a recent assault on one of the Keenans was “on the periphery” of this feud, but “tensions would still be between the families”.

Michael Ward has a total of 60 previous convictions.

In mitigation, Vincent Heneghan SC, for Michal Ward, said his client had been involved in “a reckless act” but asked the judge to account for the early guilty plea.

Similarly, Brendan Grehan SC, for Jamie Dinnegan, accepted that the incident occurred out of “the most trivial matter possible”, but urged the court to consider the early plea of guilt.

John Shortt SC, for Noel Ward, said the incident was “almost Shakespearean, but whether this is a tragedy or a farce, it’s hard to say”.

Referring to Mr Shortt’s Shakespearean reference, Judge Connolly said the only parallels he could draw were the feuds between the Montagues and Capulets that went on for decades in Romeo and Juliet.

Judge Connolly said previously it was utterly ridiculous for grown adults to be behaving that way and to place themselves in jeopardy of going to jail over some perceived family slight.

Turning to sentencing on Tuesday, Judge Connolly he stated the probation report was "not good" and it painted a picture of a defendant who had previously been given community service orders but saw them as a 'soft sentencing option.

"The report says he has an extremely poor insight into his offending and his culpability," Judge Connolly said.

The judge noted how Mr Dinnegan sustained bruising to his legs, cut and face when he was struck by the van and it was a "miracle" he did not suffer greater injuries.

"The background to this is quite difficult to understand. For firearms and a person to be run over as a consequence of a person not standing into a photograph is very childish and nonsensical," Judge Connolly added.

He noted there were 136 witness statements and 83 exhibits gathered by Gardaí and the guilty plea had saved the court a lot of time.

Judge Connolly also heard Michael 'Jnr' Ward had completed voluntary work and he had a number of positive testimonials.

He imposed a 15-month prison sentence for the careless driving causing harm offence with the final seven months suspended for two years on strict conditions that he engage with the Probation Service, be of good behavior and abide by a curfew upon his release.

Judge Connolly imposed a four year disqualification from driving on Michael 'Jnr' Ward.

Ward was also handed an additional 30-month prison sentence which is to run consecutively for a separate affray offence.
As he was being led away to begin his lengthy prison stint of three years and two months.

Ward shouted defiantly 'Peace Out' to his family as he was led away.