A Traveller who was murdered at his uncle's funeral was shot in the back of his chest as he tried to run away, a trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC said Dr Marie Cassidy, who was then deputy State pathologist, will tell the jury that the victim died as a result of a "single shot wound to the back of his chest".
The court heard that Patrick 'Deuce' Ward was shot in the heart and bled to death.
Five men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ward in May 1999 at Carrownanty Cemetery in Ballymote, Co. Sligo.
Mr Michael "Hitler Bumbee" McDonagh snr (53), Mr Martin "Bumbee" McDonagh snr (58), Mr Michael McDonagh jnr (29), Mr Patrick McDonagh (33) and Mr Martin "Spider Bumbee" McDonagh jnr (26) from Hertfordshire in London have all denied the murder of Mr Ward.
Mr "Deuce" Ward (38), a father-of-six, originally from Galway but resident in Manchester, had travelled to Ireland for the funeral of his uncle, also Patrick Ward, in Ballymote, Co. Sligo on May 10th 1999 when he was fatally shot.
The five have also pleaded not guilty to the possession of a firearm with the intent to in danger life. They also have denied the attempted murder of Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr, Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward jnr and Mr Edward "Ned" Ward on the same occasion.
The accused men also pleaded not guilty to causing violent disorder on the same date.
Mr Buckley told the jury of seven women and five men that the murder arose out of an incident at the funeral of Patrick "Skillet" Ward at Carrownanty Cemetery in Ballymote, Co. Sligo.
Prosecuting counsel told the jury that they will hear that "the Wards and the McDonagh's are intermarried".
"The McDonagh's are known as the "Bumbee" McDonagh's and Michael McDonagh snr is known by the nickname "Hitler", he said.
Mr Buckley said an incident broke out at the funeral and Patrick 'Deuce' Ward fled. He was running away when he was shot.
He was put into a car and was being driven by a family member to hospital. They were stopped by gardaí and he was taken by ambulance to hospital where he later died, the jury heard.
The prosecution told the jury that on the day of the fatal shooting, there had been a fairly big Garda presence around the cemetery. It was felt that there "might be trouble" and the gardaí had been checking vehicles for weapons.
Mr Buckley, SC, told the jury that gardai had witnessed someone on the day of the fatal shooting in a "swooping position" in a ditch near the cemetery. Subsequently gardaí found a hand gun in the ditch. "Only one hand gun was ever found," prosecuting counsel said.
Discharged bullets were found in the vicinity of the graveyard. However, Mr Buckley told the jury that ballistics evidence would show that the gun recovered was not the gun used to kill Patrick 'Deuce' Ward.
The prosecution contend that this case is one where a "joint enterprise took place on behalf of the accused men".
"If several persons act together, every act done by each of them is an act done by all," Mr Buckley said.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill and the jury tomorrow.