Belfast woman convicted of attempting to kill police

A Belfast woman has been found guilty of attempting to kill police after luring officers with hoax phone calls.

Christine Connor (35), was convicted at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday of attempted murder and causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

The court heard how she had posed as a Swedish model to entrap men into taking part in a terror plot that involved pipe bomb attacks on police in north Belfast in May 2013.

It was also heard that she had “ridiculed” dissident republican group Óglaigh na hÉireann in an online conversation for “having no desire to kill a cop”, adding that had they wanted to they would have achieved it.

She was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on August 20th.

Connor denied the charges linked to two incidents in the north of the city in May 2013, but in a lengthy judgment Judge Stephen Fowler dismissed her explanations.

During the first incident, on May 16th, 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 Ligoniel Road.

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

Attacked by boyfriend

In the second incident, on May 20th of the same year, police officers attended the Crumlin Road after receiving a call from a woman who claimed she had been attacked by her boyfriend.

It was there that two pipe bombs were thrown from an alleyway. The first exploded close to the foot of an officer who ran away but then tripped on a kerb, after which the second device was thrown. Nobody was seriously injured.

Following a non-jury trial which commenced at the end of last November and ran until mid-December, Judge Fowler said a “compelling circumstantial and forensic case” had been presented.

Connor was linked to the charges with DNA evidence from clothing as well as mobile phone evidence and CCTV.

Judge Fowler said explanations by Connor regarding clothing with her DNA on it which was found at the scene of the second incident had not been told to police when she was interviewed.

“The suggestion she handed out gloves and other items of clothing at republican events was never told to police in interview, she also failed to tell police that republicans regularly attended Republican Network for Unity events at her home and that she gave clothing away online. I conclude this was recent fabrication by her to account for her DNA on the gloves and hooded top discovered at the scene,” he said.

He also dismissed her claim that she had been “set up”, potentially by an informant, adding there had been “no such evidence” placed before him.

Judge Fowler said as he watched the defendant give evidence, he had found her “evasive and argumentative”, adding she had refused to answer questions when it suited her.

The judge concluded: “The court is satisfied that the combination of circumstances present in this case is such that it produces a compelling case, compelling circumstantial and forensic case that the defendant Christine Connor threw the two pipe bombs from the alleyway ... and at the time of doing so she intend to kill (the police officer).”

‘Hugely complex’

Speaking outside court, Det Supt Richard Campbell described the case as "hugely complex and unusual", with several UK police services working together to gather evidence.

“This was an attack on police officers, who were carrying out their role of protecting communities,” he said.

“I would like to pay particular thanks to them. This was a traumatic experience for them and I acknowledge that as victims they have waited a very long time for today’s outcome.

“Today’s conviction is the result of excellent joint working between the PSNI and West Mercia Police alongside the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and we will now await the sentencing.” - PA