Stephen Carroll widow: War memorial protest ‘an attempt to reopen old wounds’

The widow of murdered PSNI constable Stephen Carroll has said a protest at Lurgan War Memorial against the convictions of the two men who murdered her husband is an attempt to “reopen old wounds”.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Mar 2020, 15:46 BST
Kate Carroll said she was not surprised about the Lurgan War Memorial protestKate Carroll said she was not surprised about the Lurgan War Memorial protest
Kate Carroll said she was not surprised about the Lurgan War Memorial protest

March for Justice Ireland has announced it is to hold the protest on March 28.

Constable Carroll was killed just a few miles away from the war memorial by the Continuity IRA on March 9 2009 in Craigavon.

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The 48-year-old was the first PSNI officer to be killed since the formation of the organisation.

Brendan McConville, of Glenholme Avenue in Craigavon, and John Paul Wootton, from Colindale in Lurgan, are serving life sentences for his murder.

The pair had attempted to overturn their convictions but their appeal was dismissed at the High Court in Belfast in 2014.

Stephen’s widow Kate said she was not surprised by the timing of the event.

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She told the News Letter: “Nothing surprises me anymore, I just take every day as it comes now and do not let these people get inside my head. I am well past anger because I have dealt with much worse before.

“It is coming up to the anniversary of Stephen’s death so I knew there would be something coming up, but I don’t let it get to me. I went through the court case and the appeal and I prefer now to look forward.

“When Stephen was killed that was the worst moment of my life, the worst thing that has ever happened to me, nobody can ever do worse to me than that.

“This sort of thing does bring back the memories and is an attempt to reopen the wounds.

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“Every March is the same, I still remember the exact moment when I was told that Stephen had been killed. I prefer to look to the future and to live in a peaceful society. I don’t let this sort of thing get to me.”

Posters advertising the event say it will take place on March 28 at 3pm.

A Facebook post said: “March For Justice Ireland is holding a protest on Saturday the 28th of March 2020 @ 3:00pm meeting point at the War Memorial, Lurgan, to highlight the ongoing injustice wrought upon two innocent men, Brendan McConville & John Paul Wooten. The Craigavon Two, innocent men in prison for a crime they did not commit.”

Constable Carroll was shot dead after terrorists lured police to a call-out in Lismore Manor in Craigavon.