THE WIDOW of murdered police officer Constable Stephen Carroll has spoken of her “disgust” at the jail term handed to one of the killer gang.
Constable Carroll (48), Banbridge, Co Down, was the first policeman killed by republican gunmen since the peace process reforms which saw the Royal Ulster Constabulary replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
John Paul Wootton (21) drove the getaway car and was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years by Lord Justice Paul Girvan, nine fewer than Brendan McConville (41), the man whose coat may have been wrapped around the murder weapon.
The policeman was shot dead by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon, Co Armagh, in March 2009.
Outside Belfast Crown Court yesterday Constable Carroll’s widow Kate said of Wootton’s sentence: “I am actually disgusted. The full intent was there, he has shown no remorse.”
Ms Carroll added: “It gives the message out that it is fine to kill a policeman here because you get a small rap on the knuckles whereas in England, you get the full term.
“Justice has been done? Not for us it has not. Stephen is still in his grave.”
In England, a possible minimum sentence of 30 years can be handed down to those who kill policemen.
Ms Carroll said no exceptions should be made in Northern Ireland, and she branded the sentence “disgusting”.
The judge said there must be some allowance for the fact that Wootton, aged 17 at the time, played a more limited role than McConville.
“The killing comes at a time when terrorist activity has thankfully substantially decreased and it has been wholly rejected, as demonstrated by the will of the people,” he said.
“Any terrorist who continues to activate that terrorism at this point in time must be deterred from continuing in that course and any sentence must reflect that need for deterrence.”
Lord Justice Girvan said the defendants failed to show any remorse, but that statements from Constable Carroll’s family were moving.
“No person with any sense of humanity or compassion could fail to be moved by seeing or reading of the devastation visited because self-appointed executioners decided that they are entitled to sacrifice a life in furtherance of terrorist goals roundly rejected by right-thinking members of society,” he added.
A victim impact statement from Ms Carroll said: “I feel that I have not only had my soul-mate, best friend and future taken away from me, but I did not even get a chance to say goodbye properly.
“Stephen was my life and religion and losing him was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching.”
A PSNI statement said: “Police will take time to study the sentencing comments and the custodial terms imposed.”
McConville, who had a long beard, grown as part of a no-wash protest by dissident republican inmates at Maghaberry prison in Co Antrim, showed no emotion as the sentence was set.
Wootton waved to supporters in the public gallery when he arrived in court but sat motionless through the sentence proceedings.