Trio in court over PC Carroll murder
An ex-Sinn Féin councillor, a teenager and his mother have been arraigned before the Crown Court on charges connected to the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon two years ago.
The trio, who are expected to go on trial before a Diplock judge sitting without a jury in November, pleaded not guilty as the charges were put to them.
Former Councillor Brendan McConville, aged 39, of Aldervale, Tullygally and 19-year-old John Paul Wootton of Collindale, Lurgan both deny the murder of the 48-year-old police officer on 9 March 2009.
McConville and Wootton also deny possessing an AK47 assault rifle and ammunition allegedly used in the shooting at Linsmore Manor, Craigavon.
The teenager also denies attempting to collect information on “a certain police constable” and his home address, likely to be of use to terrorists between January and March 2009.
His 38-year-old mother, Sharon Wootton, of the same address, denied perverting the course of public justice between March and October 2009, by giving police information which she knew to be false and by “removing a computer or computers from her home address” in the belief that it may be searched and the equipment seized by police.
Constable Carroll, a grandfather with over 24 years service with the police, was the first officer to be murdered since the change over from the RUC to the PSNI.
His shooting, as he was responding to a 999 call near the end of his 12 hour shift, came just two days after dissident republicans murdered two soldiers outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim as they took delivery of food from two pizza men.
While Mrs Wootton was released on continuing bail, her son and McConville were remanded back into custody.
