Lone wolf dissident sentenced for bomb attack on police

By Maria McCann

A woman described as a "lone wolf dissident republican" has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for the attempted murder of police officers. 

31 year old Christine Connor, pleaded guilty in May to attempting to murder a police officer in the Crumlin Road area of Belfast on May 28, 2013, as well as a number of other terrorism offences.

She also admitted possessing explosives and causing explosions with intent to endanger life and preparation of terrorist acts.

Connor duped a number of men through fake profiles on social media to become involved in her terrorist aspirations.

She used online photographs of Swedish model, fashion designer and blogger Sanne Alexandra Andersson without her knowledge or consent.

One of these men - a co-defendant, who also jointly faced five charges including attempted murder and possessing explosives , later took his own life.

Stuart Downes, 31, from Meole Brace in Shrewsbury, was alleged to have sourced component parts and shipped them to his Belfast accomplice.

Christine also enticed American man Zachary Gevelinger, who was arrested an questioned by the PSNI after visiting Connor in Hydebank Prison in July 2013.

He was found dead last month after also claiming his own life. 

The FBI searched Zachary’s house in the US and seized computer equipment which confirmed links to the violent dissident republican.

Neither of the men had previous connections to Northern Ireland or to Northern Ireland related terrorism.

DSI Richard Campbell describes Christine Connor as "a dangerous individual who manipulated others." @qnewsdesk @PoliceServiceNI pic.twitter.com/CwsH0Ixnpi

— Maria McCann (@journomaria) June 20, 2017

A PSNI spokesperson said: "This case was hugely complex and unusual and spanned over four years, involving UK police services working together to gather evidence in order to place this dangerous individual before the courts.

"Christine Connor meticulously planned the attack on police officers who were attending what they thought was a genuine emergency call for help from a woman purporting to be in danger in her Crumlin Road home in the early hours of the morning on May 28.

"Instead they were lured to a hoax call which ended in an attempt to murder them.

"The Belfast woman made two attempts at murdering police officers on two separate dates and both involved her making hoax 999 calls to lure them to where she was hiding. 

Listen to the 999 hoax call Christine made to police in an attempt to lure officers to the explosive on May 28, 2013.

Footage from Christine Connor’s mobile phone showing her planning the attack.

The first attempt did not result in injury, although the improvised explosive devices did detonate.

Connor used this failed attack as a ‘trial run’ for a second bid on May 28 when she threw two IEDs at officers from the lane beside the house she had lured them to.

The shrapnel from the devices travelled up to 35 metres and was found lodged in the homes of local people.

A claim of responsibility for the attack on May 28, 2013 made from a Public Call Box in the Shrewsbury area formed a major part of the PSNI enquiry and helped identify Stuart Downes as a suspect.

This, together with CCTV evidence obtained in the vicinity of the May 28 attack in the Crumlin Road, resulted in the identification of Christine Connor as a suspect.

Christine Connor, gasped as Belfast Crown Court Judge David McFarland imposed the sentence today.

He said he believed she was dangerous and was "committed to a violent philosophy to achieve political objectives".

Detectives uncovered a litany of evidence during the case including:

• The mobile phone she used to make the hoax 999 calls was found in the garden of home adjoining alleyway

• In the alleyway beside the house she lured officers to, she left two woollen gloves, from which police identified her DNA, as well as her footprint in dog excrement which was traced to boots found in her wardrobe;

• A blue supermarket bag for life, which she is seen carrying in CCTV footage was found in the same garden of home adjoining alleyway. She was not carrying this bag in CCTV footage which captured Christine fleeing the scene. We believe she used this to carry the devices.

• Her hooded sweatshirt, from which police identified her DNA, was found in a skip near the scene.

• Mobile phones, laptops and sim cards were found hidden inside her mattress. She used these to communicate with her co-conspirator Downes