One of three men involved in a violent assault whereby a man was shot twice with a crossbow in Craigavon has been jailed.
John Mulholland, of Enniskeen in Craigavon, was handed a two year sentence at Craigavon Crown Court on Friday for his role in the attack, which took place on October 27, 2023.
The 35-year-old was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm while his co-accused, Declan Ward of Garvaghy Park in Portadown, was further charged with wounding with intent to inflict GHB.
A third defendant – Brian Ward from Craigavon – passed away in July 2024.
Her Honour Judge Donna McColgan KC, in her sentencing remarks, explained that on the evening in question the victim visited Brian Ward’s house at Moyraverty Court and started drinking.
Initially, everything was fine but after a while, Brian Ward’s cousin, Declan Ward – the co-accused who will be sentenced at a later date – joined them with Mulholland a short time later.
“You were all drinking, and the Wards and you together were taking drugs,” said the judge.
The victim then made a comment about one of Brian Ward’s family members “and the atmosphere changed”.
At that point, the Wards started to argue with the victim before all three men started to punch the victim.
“You would calm down for a period of time and stop, and then the assault would continue further,” she said.
Brian Ward then went to the back porch and lifted a plank of wood and beat the victim over the head with it. The victim managed to block some of the blows at the time, but some of them landed.
As this was happening, both Mulholland and Declan Ward were still attacking the victim with fists and an empty glass jar.
It was at that point then that Declan Ward lifted a crossbow and ordered the victim “to drop his trousers” before shooting him in the leg with a bolt.
He then pulled the bolt out, reloaded the crossbow and shot him a second time, again in the leg. He took the bolt out and then put a knife to the victim’s face, drawing blood and threatening him that “if he went to the police that they would burn his mother’s house”.
The victim was eventually able to leave the house and went to his grandmother’s, where he called the police.
Police attended at his grandmother’s home and spoke to him in the back of an ambulance.
At that time, police noted a number of injuries, including a gash to his head, slash marks to his cheek, and general swelling and bruising over his body.
The victim was taken to hospital where scans revealed he had fractured a bone in his leg.
During interview Mulholland accepted that he had been drinking at Brian Ward’s house but that he couldn’t remember if the victim was there.
He denied all allegations and claimed to be unaware of the incident.
In passing sentence, Judge McColgan referred to Mulholland’s extensive record and that both co-accused were under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the “unprovoked” assault.
“The initial assault was protracted and was essentially an attack by you and your two colleagues on one man,” she said.
Mulholland, assessed as being a medium likelihood of reoffending, said he was “deeply ashamed” of his actions
He will spend half – 12 months – of his sentence behind bars and a further 12 months on licence upon his release.
