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I due accusati della morte di Stephen Carroll “chiedono il decadimento delle accuse”

Carroll murder duo ‘want charges dropped’

Lawyers for a former Sinn Féin councillor and a teenager accused of murdering PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll have said they are applying to have the charges dropped.

Stephen CarrollThe arraignment of 39-year-old Brendan McConville, from Aldervale in Tullygally, and 19-year-old John Paul Wootton, from Collingdale in Lurgan, was subsequently adjourned on Friday.

The pair both deny murdering PC Carroll while he was on duty in Craigavon, on 9 March 2009, and possessing an AK47 assault rifle with intent to endanger life.

Defence lawyers acting on behalf of McConville and Wootton told Belfast Crown Court they would be applying for a ‘no bill’ on the murder charges.

McConville also faces two charges of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life and possessing them under suspicious circumstances, on dates between 11 October 2006 and 11 October 2007.

He denies the charges and his solicitor told the court the indictment is “flawed”.

Wootton is also charged with attempting to collect information which would be useful to terrorists, relating to the home address of a serving police officer, on dates between 10 January 2009 and 10 March 2009.

His mother, 38-year-old Sharon Wootton – who lives at the same address as her son – faces a charge of perverting the course of justice. She is alleged to have “removed a computer or computers from her home address, believing her home address might be searched and the said computer or computers seized by police”.

The court was told legal applications would be made on her behalf as well.

Mr Justice Hart directed both defence and prosecution lawyers to lodge skeleton arguments for the no bill applications and said he would hear submissions on a date to be fixed.

PC Carroll, a 48-year-old married man and grandfather with 24 years service in the police, was shot dead by a gunman lying in wait as he answered a 999 call-out in Lismore Manor, Craigavon. He had been nearing the end of his 12-hour shift.

The murder came just two days after a gun attack on Massereene Army Barracks in Antrim, in which two soldiers were shot dead while collecting a pizza delivery.

PC Carroll was the first police officer to be murdered since the RUC was replaced by the PSNI.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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