A woman on trial for murdering Pat Ward has spent a second day in the witness box of Dungannon Crown Court giving evidence about the night of the brutal attack in her home, and insisted she played no role in this or the clean-up of the bloodied scene in the aftermath.

Karen Marie McDonald (37), of McCrea Park, Clogher, denies murdering Mr. Ward, as well as two recently added alternative charges of manslaughter and assisting an offender.

Her partner, Niall Cox (27), of the same address, initially also denied murder but later pleaded guilty, and currently awaits sentencing.

Mr. Ward’s brutally injured, half-naked body was dragged by Cox and abandoned in an alleyway, where he was found deceased on February 9, 2019.

He was socialising with Cox in McDonald’s home; however, as the night wore on, his wife became anxious when he didn’t answer his phone.

CCTV footage showed her walking in the area dressed in nightwear around 4.40am, searching for him in vain.

Around 90 minutes later, CCTV footage captured Cox dragging Mr. Ward by his arms from McDonald’s house.

McDonald was seen “momentarily” carrying Mr. Ward’s legs, before dropping them and returning indoors.

She told the court her relationship with Cox was abusive and claimed she “was petrified; he was very violent towards me and very unpredictable”.

A number of incidents were set out in which she was required to seek medical treatment and would always be accompanied by Cox.

The court heard that during a follow-up assessment for a broken jaw which she claimed Cox caused, McDonald presented with a black eye, which a nurse remarked upon.

“She knew. She just knew,” claimed McDonald.

However, the court heard she never reported Cox to police, adding: “Domestic violence abusers are predators who control. It’s a very, very scary place to be.”

McDonald said on the night in question, Cox and the victim were drinking together in her home.

Mrs. Ward called at the door looking for her husband, but he ran upstairs.

After she left, “Pat came downstairs ... Niall went into the kitchen. Pat walked over and leaned down to me. I thought he was trying to kiss me, but he was drunk so I told him to f*** off ... Niall saw this and asked what the f*** was going on?”

She contended Mr. Ward struck Cox, causing him to fall, but “he retaliated”, continuing: “Niall was on top of Pat. He got the better of him, punching and punching and punching.”

McDonald ran upstairs in fear, shouting at both men to stop fighting, but “they didn’t take no heed of what I was saying”.

Things “went quiet” and she observed Mr. Ward sitting against a wall, wearing just shorts “with a lot of blood on his face”.

She continued: “I asked if he was okay. Niall asked what the f*** I was talking to him for, and told me to get the f*** back upstairs.”

She confirmed Mr. Ward could talk at that stage, but insisted there wasn’t an opportunity to have told him to get out after the alleged kiss-incident, as “it all happened so quickly”.

After a time, McDonald claimed she saw Cox dragging Mr. Ward, unconscious, toward the front door.

“He trailed him down the front steps. Pat was making moaning noises. He was trying to talk. I didn’t want him getting dragged.

“There was no talking to Niall by this stage, so I voluntarily lifted Pat’s legs. I believed he was going home. I meant him no harm. If anything, I was trying to help him.”

Asked who prevented this, McDonald replied: “Niall Cox told me to get the f*** back in the house, and I did. He’d probably have done the same to me, or worse.”

While acknowledging she should have helped, and should have rung an ambulance and police, she said: “I was absolutely petrified of Niall and was under his control so, so much.”

McDonald was asked why items of Mr. Ward’s clothing were discovered in a field, to which she said: “I’ve no idea. I didn’t put them there.”

She also denied putting any clothing in the washing machine.

While she accepted there was forensic evidence consistent with the bathroom being cleaned of blood, and a mop, bucket and Brillo pad were found in the bath, she insisted taking no part in this, stressing: “I don’t know who cleaned up the house.”

Questioned on why she initially told police Mr. Ward had cleaned up, she claimed not to have understood this to mean blood, and thought she may have referred to a general spillage earlier in the night.

In concluding, McDonald repeated she never harmed Mr. Ward at any time.

The trial resumes next week.