Appeal over murdered PSNI officer dismissed

Two men have lost their appeal against conviction for the murder of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer Stephen Carroll at the Court of Appeal.

Constable Stephen Carroll was shot by the Continuity IRA while responding to a 999 call in County Armagh in 2009. He was the first officer to be killed since PSNI was formed 12 years ago.

Brendan McConville and John Paul Wooton were convicted of Constable Carroll’s murder in March 2012.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan dismissed the appeal on May 29 and said: “This attack was clearly an operation which required considerable logistic support. There were a number of others involved apart from those who were directly involved in firing the weapons.

“The surrounding circumstances in our view formed a compelling case that each of these appellants was guilty of the offences with which they were charged.”

Speaking outside court, Constable Carroll’s widow, Kate Carroll, said the appeal had been hanging over her family.

“There’s more to life than trying to kill somebody because of a piece of land. I heard the evidence and I was thinking – you’d know that people were guilty, it hasn’t changed.

“I’m just so, so relieved. Nobody knows how much this has taken out of me.”

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Ricky Harkness welcomed the decision: “It is an acknowledgement of all the hard work by serious crime branch detectives and partner agencies to get justice for a valued and much missed colleague.

“The PSNI is committed to protecting communities and delivering a policing service through the criminal justice system.

“This case proceeded through the criminal justice system, passing every test in terms of grounds for arrest, evidence to charge, going to trial and securing convictions. The Court of Appeal has upheld those convictions.”