Sentences in PSNI murder case set for court review

THE NORTH’S Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory, is seeking to have the sentences handed down for the Continuity IRA murder of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll referred back to the Court of Appeal on the basis that they were too lenient.

Last month former Sinn Féin councillor Brendan McConville (40) and John Paul Wootton (20) were sentenced to minimum terms respectively of 25 years and 14 years for the March 2009 murder of Constable Carroll in Craigavon, Co Armagh.

Constable Carroll’s widow Kate expressed her disgust that Wootton could be freed after 14 years.

In imposing this sentence Lord Justice Paul Girvan said he was required to take into account that Wootton was only 17 at the time of the killing.

That sentencing policy is now being reviewed.

The sentences, particularly that imposed on Wootton, triggered considerable controversy in Northern Ireland.

Last week Terry Spence, head of the North’s Police Federation – the representative body for the PSNI – said those who murdered police officers in the North must receive full mandatory life sentences.

“In England and Wales . . . the minimum sentence for the murder of a police officer is 30 years,” he said.

“In the Republic of Ireland it is a mandatory 40 years. We have persistently in Northern Ireland. . . operated a policy of under-sentencing the murderers of police officers,” Mr Spence told the annual conference of his federation.

“What I find unforgivable is that police officers murdered in Britain or Ireland have been usually killed in the course of a crime, such as violent robbery.

“In Northern Ireland, the sole purpose of the crime is the deliberate and premeditated murder of the officer. . . working on behalf of the community,” he added.

“We demand that life should mean just that . . . no matter what age the perpetrator.

“If we don’t take this opportunity to persuade young would-be murderers that a life in prison awaits them, then you are failing to protect our officers and failing to deter terrorists.”