Judges praised for increasing jail sentence of would-be police killer

Senior judges held yesterday that the 20-year term imposed on Christine Connor for a pipe bomb attack on officers lured to the scene by a hoax 999 call in May 2013 was “unsustainably generous”.

She had appealed both against her conviction and the length of the sentence, but yesterday senior judges responded by raising her sentence by five years.

UUP Justice Spokesman Doug Beattie MLA has repeatedly criticised the judicial system for what he believed was unduly lenient sentences for dissident republicans. However yesterday he praised the Court of Appeal for the move.

“Christine Connor is a dangerous terrorist who chose to go down that path,” he said. “Her actions were intended to result in the death of police officers and it is no thanks to her that she failed to achieve her aim. I have previously criticised courts for overly lenient sentencing in terrorist cases, so today I am pleased to be able to praise the Court of Appeal for handing out a sentence that fits the crime and reflects the public revulsion at Connor’s actions.

“Lenient sentences are dangerous. They do not adequately punish offenders, they do not act as a deterrent to others, they do not protect the public and they undermine public confidence in the judicial system as a whole. Today’s sentence for Christine Connor should serve as a warning to anyone else thinking of getting involved in terrorist activity.”

Senior judges held yesterday that the 20-year term imposed on Christine Connor for a pipe bomb attack on officers lured to the scene by a hoax 999 call in May 2013 was “unsustainably generous”.

With her bid to overturn the guilty verdict also dismissed, Lord Justice McCloskey said: “The attempted murder of any member of the security forces in Northern Ireland is a heinous crime, demanding of condign punishment.

“The offending of Ms Connor is characterised by a multiplicity of aggravating facts and factors and a stark absence of mitigation.

“We substitute a sentence of 25 years imprisonment, accompanied by an extended licence period of four years.”

Connor, 35, was found guilty of attempted murder and causing an explosion likely to endanger life following a non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court.

According to the prosecution she carried out a trial run on May 16, throwing a pipe bomb on the Ligoniel Road and then phoning police to say a device had been left on a wall. The device exploded but caused no damaged.

Defence lawyers contended that it had been wrong to exclude the possibility of the explosion being caused by something other than a bomb.

In a second incident, a bogus 999 call lured PSNI officers to the Crumlin Road in the early hours of May 28. When officers attended a house in the area a pipe bomb was thrown at them.

At the scene police found belongings with her DNA and bloodd on them.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor