POLICE CONSTABLE Stephen Carroll, who was murdered by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon, Co Armagh, almost three years ago, was “lured” to his death by an engineered 999 call, Belfast Crown Court heard yesterday.
Constable Carroll (48), a Catholic who lived with his family in Banbridge, Co Down, was part of a PSNI team which answered an emergency call after a window at a house in Lismore Manor, Craigavon, was smashed by a brick, the court was told.
Prosecuting lawyer Ciaran Murphy QC, said there was evidence that would link former Sinn Féin councillor Brendan McConville (40) and John Paul Wootton (20) to the murder of Constable Carroll on March 9th, 2009.
The murdered officer’s widow, Kate, was in the public gallery to hear Mr Murphy tell the court how a window was broken at a house that night. This attack was contrived so that Constable Carroll and his colleagues could be “lured” into the area and attacked, he said. The emergency call was made at 8.41pm after the incident. Two police vehicles went to the scene, one armoured and one unarmoured, which Constable Carroll was driving. Mr Murphy said one of the officers who emerged from the armoured vehicle heard two shots being fired.
That officer said another officer in Constable Carroll’s car was out of the vehicle. He “appeared to be delirious [and was] pointing his weapon in a number of directions”. One colleague said, “my driver is dead”.
The shots were fired about 9.45pm from an AK47 rifle from a distance of 50 metres and Constable Carroll was struck in the head.
There were no vital signs from the officer from the outset and he was officially pronounced dead at 10.28pm after a number of attempts to revive him. He was the first PSNI officer to be murdered.
The court heard that two of the people in the house from where the 999 call was made, James Scullion and Ryan Murphy, were listed to give evidence. Mr Murphy appeared in court at the last sitting in December but last week sent a text to the PSNI “indicating he would not be attending” the trial and also pointing to “some personal concerns about giving evidence”.
Mr Scullion indicated from early December that he “simply did not intend to give evidence”.
The presiding judge, Lord Justice Girvan, issued summonses requiring the two men to give evidence.
Mr McConville, who was 37 at the time of the killing, and Mr Wootton, who was 17, are both charged with murder and possession of an AK47 assault rifle.
Mr Wootton is additionally charged with attempting to collect information that would be useful to people committing or seeking to commit acts of terrorism.
They are both on a no-wash dissident protest in Maghaberry Prison, where they are on remand, and appeared in court with thick bushy beards and long hair. Mr Wootton’s mother, Sharon (39), from Collingdale, Lurgan, is charged with perverting the course of justice after the murder by giving police false information and removing a computer or computers from her home. She is on bail.
Prosecuting lawyer Mr Murphy told the court how the murder weapon was found hidden underneath an oil tank at a house in Pinebank, Craigavon. Latex gloves and a magazine of ammunition were also recovered. The court was also told a “vehicle tracking device” was recovered from Mr Wootton’s car, which allegedly placed him at the murder scene. Mr Murphy said the car was used by Mr Wootton to provide “logistical support” in the attack.
The court also heard that a jacket, which it was alleged that Mr McConville “habitually” wore, was recovered from Mr Wootton’s car, and that it contained gunshot discharge residue. A similar jacket found at Mr McConville’s home also had such traces, it was further alleged.
“The jacket may have been wrapped around the gun when it was fired or shortly after,” Mr Murphy suggested.
The lawyer also referred to Mr Wootton being in contact by computer with a Witness “E”.
At one stage he arranged to meet him directly because he did not want to make his comments over the internet.
When they met, Mr Wootton asked Witness “E” if his girlfriend’s father was in the PSNI.
The witness told him to “f**k off” and that police officers did not deserve to be shot.
According to Mr Murphy, Mr Wootton replied, “A cop’s a cop”.
