An RUC constable accused of killing his wife and children while they were asleep in bed told a Belfast court yesterday he was heart broken by what had happened and did not are whether he lived or died. Constable John Torney said he continually reproached himself for leaving his gun in a place which had enabled his son, John jar, to carry out the Torney (40) has murdering his wife, (33), his daughter, Emma (10), and John (13). The three were found in their beds, shot once in the head, on September 20th, 1994, the defendant had telephoned for the police and an ambulance to come to his Lomond Heights home in Cookstown.
During cross examination yesterday, Constable Torney denied he had planned to kill his family because he was "totally infatuated" with Ailsa Millar, a fellow RUC officer. He also denied that, after his family was asleep, he had gone from one room to another killing his wife and children, before putting gloves on the boy's hands to connect him forensically with the other two killings.
Earlier Constable Torney told the jury he did not think John would have known how to open the gun. And he agreed with a Crown lawyer, Mr John Creaney QC, that someone unfamiliar with the weapon would not know whether it was loaded or not when it was closed.
Mr Creaney asked "Then he would have had no guarantee when he fired the shot that the weapon would discharge?"
"No" replied Constable Torney.
Questioned about the fact that he stood to benefit by between £80,000 and £90,000 from his wife's death, Constable Torney said it had not occurred to him in September 1994.
The trial continues on Monday.