VICTIM’S DAUGHTER TELLS HOW SHE NEVER GOT TO SAY GOODBYE
THE daughter of a man attacked and left to die in his home has described the “devastating” impact his murder has had on her life.
Marcell Seeley was beaten to death in Lurgan in October 2015.
Yesterday his killer Mark Ward was told he will spend the next 16 years behind bars before he is considered eligible for release.
Telling Ward (26) there were “no mitigating factors” in his favour, Mr Justice Treacy said he abandoned the dying Mr Seeley (34) after attacking him, and had failed to call an ambulance or get assistance.
In a victim impact statement, released by police after the sentencing, Mr Seeley’s teenage daughter spoke movingly of the loss of her father.
The girl, who did not wish to be fully identified, was 15 when her dad was killed.
She wrote: “I never got to say goodbye to him. His coffin was closed due to the brutality of his death.
“This has had a devastating effect on my life.”
The teenager said all that she has left are the memories of the life she shared with her father and the bond they had.
“My dad meant everything to me. He made me feel safe and loved. He was my best friend,” she added.
Mr Seeley’s sister, Carrai Doran, said her life had been “frozen in time” since losing him.
There was a notable police presence in the public gallery of Belfast Crown Court, with officers standing between the families of both Mr Seeley and Ward.
Mr Seeley, also known as Junior, was kicked and stamped to death on the morning of October 11 2015.
His remains were discovered by his sister in the living room of his Dingwell Park flat, in the Tagnaven estate in Lurgan, two days later.
The father of four died of blunt force trauma to the head, and also suffered multiple injuries in the attack, which occurred when he was “vulnerable” due to his intoxicated state.
The head injuries caused heavy bleeding, particularly from his ear, with other injuries inflicted to his neck and voice box.
He also suffered two fractured ribs as well as bruises and abrasions to his upper body, and all four limbs.
A pathologist concluded he would have survived for several hours after the head injuries were inflicted.
Ward, from Drumellan Gardens in the Moyraverty area of Craigavon, was handed a life sentence in June after he was convicted by a jury of murdering Mr Seeley — a man he said he knew for around a decade.
Despite the conviction, Ward continues to deny the charge. De- livering his sentence yesterday, Mr Justice Treacy said “gratuitous and extensive violence” was used against Mr Seeley.
The judge outlined the many injuries inflicted on the victim, including a wound to the back of his shoulder which Mr Justice Treacy said was caused using a “severe degree of force”.
He said this was most likely inflicted as the injured man was lying face down on the floor.
Telling Ward he will serve a minimum of 16 years in prison before he is considered to be eligible for release by the Parole Commissioners, Mr Justice Treacy said there would be “no remission” on the sentence.
He said that as Ward had chosen not to speak to police after his arrest, and had declined to give evidence during the trial, this left the court to speculate about what occurred in the flat.
He did, however, point out that “extensive and multiple injuries” were inflicted, that Mr Seeley was vulnerable and that Ward “abandoned” a “gravely injured” man he had known for years. Mr Justice Treacy also noted Ward’s lack of obtaining assistance after the attack.
During the trial, the jury was told that several footprints were left behind in either blood or spilt Buckfast.
The distinctive pattern of these footprints were located on an envelope beside Mr Seeley’s body, on a belt and on several areas on the floor. There was also a footprint on the victim’s shirt.
An expert concluded that the footprint was caused by a size nine Base London trainer, and the jury heard Ward wears size nine shoes, that he was wearing a pair of size nine Base London trainers when he attended a police station for an unrelated matter in the days before the murder, and that these shoes have never been recovered.