 The "Prime Time Special" (RTÉ flagship current affairs programme) brought forward new evidence showing that John Ward had a long criminal record dating back over 30 years and revealed that four bench warrants for John Ward's arrest were outstanding at the time of his death.Tom Ward, the chief witness for the prosecution, was himself serving an eleven-month sentence at the time of the trial, for possessing a knife and for theft.Another son, John Ward Jr., served an eleven-month sentence handed down in March for a spate of motoring, theft and fraud offences.