Officer paid the ultimate price

Their message came after a jury decided there was “insufficient evidence” to determine what caused their armoured Mitsubishi Shogun to crash and catch fire on November 23, 2008.

Constables Declan Greene, 39, Kenny Irvine, 30, Kevin Gorman, 24, and former Friends pupil James Magee, 27 originally from Dromore – the vehicle’s driver – were all trapped inside and died.

Though none of the relatives wished to speak directly to the press, they issued a statement through retired inspector Ian Kennedy, who had led the PSNI’s investigation into the crash.

He said: “We would hope that lessons had been learned through the tragic consequences of this terrible incident. Police officers have a dangerous and difficult role, and our loved ones have paid the ultimate price.

“However, most importantly we would wish that people would remember Kevin, Declan, Kenneth and James for the brave officers they were; that they strived through their efforts to make the communities they served in a safer place for everyone.

“They were and will always be much-loved and much-missed members of our families, and will always be cherished and remembered for their selfless actions.”

Their vehicle was responding to an emergency call for assistance when it crashed at a speed estimated to be between roughly 50mph and 60mph.

Previous hearings had heard criticism of the handling ability of PSNI Shoguns, and had been told that one once tipped over while rounding a bend at 28mph.

On Thursday, Assistance Chief Constable Alan Todd said armoured vehicles were needed due to the threat of attack in the Newry and Mourne area.

The rural nature of the region also called on vehicles with good clearance from the ground so they could handle uneven surfaces – all of which made the large Shoguns an “attractive proposition”. He denied the suggestion they were unsafe.

The jury said the officers died due to “a number of unfortunate and concurrent incidents.”

Exactly what made the vehicle lose control as it travelled along the Moygannon Road could not be determined.

But on balance of probabilities the most likely contributing factors were “road conditions, driving over a manhole cover, and excess weight”.

The blaze in the vehicle began when the back of it struck a bridge.

The impact caused the doors to jam, and the fire also blocked access to the escape hatch in the rear.

All officers died from inhaling fumes, not the impact.

Dismissing the jury, coroner Suzanne Anderson said: “I’d like to express my deepest sympathies to the families of the four men for their tragic and untimely deaths.”

Mr Kennedy said after the inquest that the bulletproof glass in the Shogun would have made the windows harder to break than in a “generic” vehicle.

He said the instructions at the time were for three officers with equipment to be in the Shogun at any given time, or four without equipment.

In this case, two of the four had equipment.

He added: “I think at this stage they’re still trying to absorb what the jury have said...

“They are just relieved at this stage that this inquest has been completed. It has been quite a lengthy two weeks for them. I have to say from my own perspective I much admire their fortitude and patience – and particularly the respectful and dignified manner in which they conducted themselves.

“Not just through this inquest, but from when I came on their doorsteps six years ago until now.”