Judgment reserved in Massereene murders trial
JUDGMENT in the trial of Brian Shivers, accused of involvement in the double murder of two soldiers, was reserved yesterday after three weeks of evidence.
Belfast Crown Court Diplock, no-jury trial judge Mr Justice Deeney said he hoped to deliver his findings as soon as possible once he had reviewed the papers and the evidence.
Earlier he heard final submissions from prosecuting QC Terence Mooney and defence QC Orlando Pownall who both agreed the DNA evidence in the trial was key, but while Mr Mooney contended it proved 47-year-old Shivers was a “secondary party” to the murderous attack, Mr Pownall said it proved nothing.
Shivers, from Sperrin Mews, Magherafelt, denies the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham, and 21-year-old Londoner, Patrick Azimkar who were gunned down in a deadly ambush outside Massereene Barracks on March 7, 2009.
He also denies the attempted murder of two other soldiers who were seriously wounded along with two civilian drivers delivering pizzas to the base, and possessing a firearm.
On Thursday the prosecution added a 10th count to the indictment, alleging that Shivers assisted offenders by trying to burn the killers’ escape vehicle, a Vauxhall Cavalier, knowing that murder had been committed.
The trial began on March 4 with the court being shown horrifying CCTV security footage of the moment a number of unarmed and utterly defenceless soldiers were ambushed by the Real IRA outside their Co Antrim base four years ago.
