Christine Connor sentencing: Woman who is ‘wedded to violence’ jailed for 20 years for murder bid on police

Last month Judge Stephen Fowler QC found Christine Connor guilty of four offences of attempted murder and possessing exploisves with intent to endanger life which related to two incidents in the north of the city in May 2013.

These included an attack on police who were lured to the scene by a bogus 999 call she made claiming to be the victim of domestic violence.

At a remote hearing , Connor (34) appeared at Belfast Crown Court via video link from the women’s prison at Hydebank Wood jail in the south of the city.

Judge Fowler described the attack on police as both “cynical and sinister’’ and told the hearing that it was an attempt by Connor to “lure police into an ambush’’ by making a hoax call claiming to be the victim of domestic abuse requiring urgent police assistance.

“The defendant knew that police would regard a domestic violence situation as a high priority.’’

The judge added that one of the devices landed at the right foot of a PSNI officer who was “entirely fortuitous to escape with his life’’ and sustained ringing in his ear, abrasions to his legs and significant post traumatic stress disorder and the events “were terrifying for all those caught up in them’’.

Judge Fowler said the offences Connor had been convicted of where both “serious and specified’’ and after careful consideration he found the defendant posed a danger to the public in the future and also posed a serious risk of serious harm.

“The aim and intentions behind these attacks was to kill police....the devices were effective anti-peronnel devices and their planning and deployment were detailed’’.

The judge added: “The defendant was the driving force behind the attacks, securing the making of the pipe bombs, the reconnoitre of the attack locations and throwing the bombs.

“In my view she remains a committed dissident republican and nothing has changed. She is still wedded to violence.

“Her pivotal role in these attacks demonstrated a commitment to the dissident republican cause and a willingness to murder to further those ends. She has also shown no remorse.’’

Judge Fowler said there were a number of aggravating features in the case: the deployment of the pipe bombs were “in furtherance of a violent poliitical cause’’; two front line public servants, police officers, were targeted when they responded what they believed was a call for help from a vulnerable woman being subjected to domestic violence; there was signicant research in bomb making and reconnaissance of attack points; Connor played a centrol role by throwing the pipe bombs; two incidents of four pipe bombs being thrown; her lack of remorse; her culpability was “high’’ and the harm “murderous’’.

In mitigation, the judge said he took into account Connor’s significant ill health, her mental health and her clinical obesity which made her vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 in prison.

He also noted defence submissions that she had not committed any further offending while on bail for the terrorist offences.

Judge Fowler concluded by stating that given Connor’s poor health he was imposing a sentence of 20 years in prison on the defendant.