A DUBLIN man has failed in his appeal against his conviction for the shooting of publican Charlie Chawke during a robbery.
The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday dismissed the appeal by Frank Ward (57), who had an address at Knockmore Avenue, Tallaght, and who received two concurrent life sentences in October 2007 for shooting and robbing Mr Chawke in the car park of the Goat Grill, Goatstown, on October 6th, 2003.
During the robbery, Mr Chawke had tried to seize the pump-action shotgun carried by Ward, but fell and was shot in the leg. Ward, who robbed Mr Chawke of almost €50,000, told his victim: “I will sort you out.” Mr Chawke’s right leg had to be amputated above the knee after the attack.
Among 26 grounds of appeal submitted to the court by way of correspondence amounting to some 238 pages, Ward claimed the trial judge wrongfully refused to exclude all Fianna Fáil members from the jury.
He said the jury should have been vetted to exclude all Fianna Fáil members, as Mr Chawke had “bankrolled” a former taoiseach and jurors who were members of the party would show bias against him.
Ward, who represented himself, also argued that he pleaded guilty to the charges because he had “lost confidence” in the trial process and his health had been affected by stress and an insufficient supply of food and water.
Presiding judge Mr Joseph Finnegan, sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel O’Keeffe, said the court would dismiss Ward’s appeal on all grounds.