Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MY DAD WAS STOLEN FROM ME
Daughter tells of heartache as vicious brute locked up for 16 years
THE daughter of murdered Marcell Seeley told yesterday of the “devastating effect” his death had on her – as his killer was jailed for 16 years.
She was just 15 when Mark Ward kicked the 34-yearold to death in the living room of his Dingwell Park flat in Lurgan’s Taghnevan estate in October 2015.
At Belfast Crown Court yesterday Ward, 26, was told he would serve a minimum of 16 years in prison with “no remission”.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Seeley’s daughter said: “I never got to say goodbye to him. His coffin was closed due to the brutality of his death.”
A MAN who subjected a 34-year-old dad to a “gratuitous and extensive” attack before leaving him to die will spend 16 years behind bars.
Mr Justice Treacy told Mark Ward, 26, at his sentencing yesterday there were “no mitigating factors” in his favour.
Not only did he “abandon” dying Marcell “Junior” Seeley after attacking him, but he failed to call for an ambulance or assistance.
Speaking outside Belfast’s Laganside Courts yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector Eamonn Corrigan welcomed the sentence.
He added: “The attack was vicious and during 16 police interviews, Mark Ward refused to co-operate with detectives.
“During the trial he showed no remorse at any stage.”
Mr Seeley was stamped on and kicked to death on the morning of October 11, 2015. His remains were found by his sister two days later in the living room of his Dingwell Park flat on Lurgan’s Taghnevan estate.
The father-of-four died of blunt force trauma to the head which caused heavy bleeding, particularly from his ear.
He also sustained injuries to his neck and voicebox and 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 attack, which occurred when he was “vulnerable” due to his intoxicated state.
Ward, from Drumellan Gardens in the Moyraverty area of Craigavon, was handed a life sentence in June for murdering Mr Seeley – a man he said he had known for around a decade.
During the trial, the jury was told that several footprints with a distinctive pattern were left in Mr Seeley’s flat in either blood or spilt Buckfast.
They were found on an envelope beside the body, on a belt, on several areas of the floor and there was also a footprint on the victim’s shirt.
A footwear expert concluded it was
caused by a size nine Base London trainer. The jury was told Ward wore 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.
Ward’s DNA was also found on a cigarette butt within the crime scene. However, despite the conviction, he continues to deny the charge.
Delivering his sentence at Belfast Crown Court yesterday, Mr Justice Treacy said the attack on Mr Seeley was one in which there was “gratuitous and extensive violence used”.
He described one wound to the back of his shoulder as having been caused using a “severe degree of force” and 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, the judge added there would be “no remission” on the sentence.
He also warned Ward that when released on licence, “you can be recalled to prison if you do not comply with the terms of that licence”.
The judge 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 two years ago.
He did, however, point out 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 failure to obtain assistance after the attack.
After passing sentence, he told prison staff “the defendant can be taken down”.
At this point, Ward turned to his family in the public gallery, gave the thumbs up and said: “100%, I will give you a buzz when I get back up.”
As his family were leaving court, one sibling told a reporter: “Our brother is an innocent man.”
Following the sentencing, DCI Corrigan from the PSNI’S Serious Crime Branch shared his sympathies with the Seeley family. He said: “This was a unique and hugely complex case based on the comparison of footwear imprints against footwear that has never been found.
“However, we were able to obtain CCTV footage of Mark Ward walking in the Lurgan area, in the direction of Marcell’s home, hours before the murder and further CCTV from Lurgan custody suite of the days after Marcell’s murder, when Mark Ward was in police custody for an unrelated matter.
“Following analysis of this CCTV it was established the shoes worn by Mark Ward were Base London with the same unique sole pattern. This information, combined with Mark Ward’s DNA from a cigarette butt found within the crime scene, led to the arrest and charging of Mark Ward for this brutal and callous murder.
“The one place you should feel safe is your own home and that’s where Marcell was when Mark Ward brutally killed him.
“During the trial he showed no remorse at any stage. I welcome that Mark Ward is now behind bars, however Marcell’s family still face a lifetime sentence and his children will now grow up without a father.”
Mark Ward is behind bars but Marcell’s family face life sentence DCI EAMONN CORRIGAN BELFAST YESTERDAY