A WOMAN has been found guilty of manslaughter over the killing of Pat Ward in Co Tyrone.
Karen Marie McDonald was cleared of the murder of 30-year-old Mr Ward in Clogher on February 9, 2019, but convicted at Dungannon Crown Court of manslaughter following a unanimous guilty verdict.
McDonald (37), of McCrea Park in Clogher, wept as the verdict was delivered.
Mr Ward, who was originally from Sligo, was found dead in an alleyway in the Co Tyrone village. It was determined he had been stabbed and beaten after spending a night drinking at McDonald's home with her and her former partner, 27-year-old Niall Cox.
The victim had been dragged to the alleyway by Cox following the brutal attack in which Mr Ward was struck on the head with a heavy, elongated object, thought to be a barbell, and stabbed with a machete.
Cox has pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Ward, and is awaiting sentencing.
During her trial, McDonald claimed she had no part in the attack on Mr Ward, nor the clean-up of her home afterwards. She claimed she acted under duress out of fear of Cox, who she said subjected her to violence and domestic abuse.
She claimed she lied to Mr Ward's wife when she called earlier in the night looking for him before the attack, out of fear of Cox.
Mr Ward had hid upstairs from his wife, McDonald claimed, and had tried to kiss her when he came back down, prompting the attack by Cox.
The jury deliberated for around two hours before delivering the verdict, and McDonald was handcuffed and returned to custody.
She will be sentenced alongside Cox in April.