DEAN WARD/FOWKES SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CRIMES IN CO. DONEGAL

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Co. Donegal, Dean Ward, also known as Dean Alexander Fowkes, has been sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison for a series of brutal crimes committed over a six-week period. The offences include rape, assault, coercive control, false imprisonment, threats to kill, and other violent acts against a woman he had been involved with.

Ward, aged 36, was found guilty of subjecting the woman to a terrifying ordeal that involved physical violence, psychological manipulation, and sexual assault. The court heard that on multiple occasions, Ward used a can of Mace to spray the woman in the face, tied her up, and choked her, all while raping her. His threats escalated to include a hammer, which he wielded during the assaults, and he punched her in the face, leaving her with visible injuries.

Throughout their relationship, Ward exerted complete control over her life. He restricted her contact with friends and family, took over her online banking accounts, monitored her whereabouts through her mobile phone, and even removed her contraceptive device while she was sleeping. These actions exemplify the coercive control he wielded over her, a crime that is relatively new in Irish law but increasingly recognized for its severity and impact.

The court was told that Ward used a different name, Dean Alexander Fowkes, when he first met his victim. His criminal history includes a previous four-year sentence for falsely imprisoning and assaulting a young mother in November 2015. Ward and that woman had met through the popular online dating site Plenty of Fish, and his attack on her occurred during their third date, in her own home.

Garda Superintendant Karen Duffy emphasized the seriousness of coercive control, encouraging victims of abuse to come forward and seek help from Gardaí. She highlighted that Ward’s actions were part of a pattern of violent and controlling behavior that culminated in a series of heinous crimes between June 11 and July 17, 2019.

Following a trial earlier this year, Ward was convicted on multiple counts, including four of assault, false imprisonment, making threats to kill, production of articles, three counts of rape, and coercive control. The offences took place over a six-week period, starting from the woman’s first meeting with Ward in May 2019 until his arrest by armed Gardaí at her home in July 2019. Ward has maintained his innocence and does not accept the jury’s verdict, remaining in custody since his arrest on July 17, 2019.

Justice Kerida Naidoo delivered the sentence, noting that the rapes occurred within a relationship characterized by control and coercion, where consent was not freely given. The judge described the first rape as aggravated by violence and extreme degradation, recounting how Ward broke into the woman’s home after an argument, punched her, and threatened to kill her. He then pulled out a knife, used torn towels to tie her up, and began choking her from behind, during which she believed she was going to die. Ward knew of her particular fear of drowning and threatened to drown her, which caused her to lose control of her bladder. In a state of terror, she even offered to take her own life, a detail that underscored the severity of her fear.

For this most serious offence, Justice Naidoo sentenced Ward to 18 years in prison, with one year suspended on the condition that he complies with probation instructions after his release. The other charges were sentenced to lesser terms, all to run concurrently. The judge emphasized that there was little mitigation for Ward’s actions, which were marked by violence and extreme cruelty, and highlighted the importance of holding him accountable to prevent further harm to others in the community of Co. Donegal.