Two jailed for life over Carroll murder

John Paul Wootton, 21, who was 17 at the time of the murder, will serve a minimum term of 14 years.

Former Sinn Fein councillor Brendan McConville, 40, will serve a minimum of 25 years.

Constable Stephen Carroll, 48, was shot dead in Craigavon in March 2009 answering a call for help.

Brendan McConville, of Glenholme Avenue, Craigavon, and John Paul Wootton, of Collingdale, Lurgan, were found guilty of his murder in March.

He was the first member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to be murdered.

He died just 48 hours after two soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA at Massereene army base in Antrim.

At the time of the murder the Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for the killing.

PC Carroll’s widow, Kate, was in court and in a victim impact statement read out in court she said her husband’s death had been “heartbreaking and gutwrenching” and that she had lost her soulmate.