Northern Ireland

Judge retires to consider verdict in Christine Connor trial

Christine Connor at a previous hearing
Christine Connor at a previous hearing Christine Connor at a previous hearing

JUDGMENT was reserved yesterday in the non-jury trial of a Belfast woman accused of possessing explosives and attempting to murder a police officer.

Christine Connor was charged with - and denied - six offences linked to two incidents in the north of the city in May 2013.

During the second incident, pipe bombs were thrown at police which the Crown say was an attempt to murder a police officer after they were lured to the scene.

In a Diplock-style trial which commenced at the end of November and ran until mid-December last year, the Crown made the case that the 35-year old north Belfast woman made bogus calls prior to both incidents, and was involved in the two separate attacks.

In the first incident on May 16, 2013, an early morning 999 call was made by a female who claimed she had seen an object she thought was a bomb in a garden on the Ligoneil Road.

Officers observed a large plume of smoke in the area shortly after the call on CCTV, and when police went to the scene they observed two scorch marks on the road.

The second incident, which occurred on the Crumlin Road in the early hours of May 26, 2013, followed a hoax 999 call made from a woman who claimed she had been attacked by her boyfriend.

When two officers responded to the domestic abuse allegation and called to a house on the Crumlin Road, two pipe bombs were launched from an alleyway. The first device detonated beside an officer's foot, and as he ran to safety he tripped on a kerb, and a second device was launched.

It is also the Crown's case that Connor, whose address is the subject of a reporting restriction, undertook a practice run prior to the incidents which she recorded.

This movie file was located - along with other items - on a computer seized from inside a mattress in the bedroom of a property were Connor lived in May 2013.

She is also accused of establishing an on-line relationship with a co-accused from England, who passed away in June 2016, and who the Crown say she befriended by posing as the Swedish model Sanne Anderson.

In closing submissions handed to Judge Stephen Fowler QC, it is the Crown's case that Connor set up this relationship with the now deceased Stuart Downes 'to gather component parts for improvised explosive devices, namely pipe bombs.

The Crown's submission also says Connor lured police to the scene of the second incident on May 26, 2013 and that she is 'linked to the call by voice ID and DNA on the Nokia phone' found at the scene.

Also handed to the judge were closing submissions for the defence. Reminding the court that his client Connor denied all the charges, Tim Moloney QC spoke about both incidents.

Regarding the incident on May 13, 2013, Mr Moloney said the key matter was to determine whether or not the devices thrown were pipe bombs, and whether or not they could be capable of actually endangering a life.

He said a second device was thrown but not towards the same officer who had tripped and fallen.

He said "there is reasonable doubt the attack involved an attempt to kill" the police.

After submissions were provided by both the Crown and defence, Judge Fowler said: "I need to take some time to consider the decision in this case and all the parties will be informed when the judgment will be given."

Connor was released on bail.