‘He was never the same man. It shattered his peace of mind’ – 20 years after Padraig Nally shot dead trespasser at his home, ripples from case are still felt (paywall)
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/he-was-never-the-same-man-it-shattered-his-peace-of-mind-20-years-after-padraig-nally-shot-dead-trespasser-at-his-home-ripples-from-case-are-still-felt/a331041268.html
Posted by siciowa
20 Comments
This man was failed by our society. Repeated attacks on his home by the same few, and when he eventually took the law into his own hands, he was jailed.
Career criminals with no fear of the law continuously harassing and causing fear.
Nally was harassed by the same few for a prolonged period.
He took to sleeping in his hay shed out of fear his house would be raided at night.
A bachelor farmer, who said in an interview he had nothing but the house over his head, that his parents left to him when they passed away.
I often think about him and the hand he was dealt.
I wonder, did home invasions drop after this incident? Does the fear of death / being shot dissuade intruders?
I remember this. Poor man. Repeatedly terrorised by the usual suspects. They deserved what they got. Perfect example of FAFO.
He should have gotten a medal
Fella is an absolute legend where I used to live.
There was a very similar case in England, Tony Martin was his name, whose farm kept being burglarised by members of a criminal family. One night, he stayed up late and shot them, one dead. I’m not saying he was right, but he was an autistic man, living by himself and had absolutely no support from his community or the police for the previous burglaries. It’s no wonder he took matters into his own hands.
He defended himself & his home. Where were the Gardaí while he was getting harassed?
He did society a favour
Nally for President
A legend of this country.
If you don’t want to get shot dead, don’t go trespassing other peoples homes!
The gardai didnt do their job so he did it for them, fair play to him.
John Ward was a 43-year-old with approximately 80 convictions from 38 separate court appearances and had convictions for burglary, larceny and assault. John “Frog” Ward had twice been committed to hospital for psychiatric treatment. In 1999, he threatened a barman with a Stanley knife. Ward attacked a car with a slash hook while a woman and two children were inside. Ward had threatened Gardaí in an incident in May 2002 and with a slash, in April 2002. At the time of his death he was facing charges of attacking Gardaí with a slash hook.
Sounds like an outstanding member of society /s
I’d have done the exact same thing if I were in his shoes
I met Padraig quite a few times when I lived in the area about a decade ago. A very quiet man, always smelled of turf from the fire, kept to himself. My opinions on the case definitely solidified after getting to know him. Can’t imagine the fear he had been living in.
So according the law he is supposed to just sit around while waiting for them to come back. They might as well ask him to hold a welcome party for th each time
Scumbags. The man did the world a favour that day. And spent his life in fear for it.
The fact he was put in jail is a stain on our country. If an elderly man isn’t safe in his own farm house then we really have lost our way.
That those bastards were allowed to terrorise him the way they did and are allowed to do the same to others like him.. it just beggars belief.
It’s not just a question of more Garda it says something terrible about our society that we tolerate this.
Should have been given an award not jailed.
Of course no consequences for the judge who blatantly lied to the jury and told them they weren’t allowed find him innocent. Absolute miscarriage of justice. It seems strange that undermining the idea of jury like that doesn’t at least lead to dismissal.
If there’s one good part of this story, its how the community rallied around Padraig. Anytime he needed to go in to town, there’d be someone with him to keep an eye out for any of that criminal’s family coming for revenge.