§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the shooting dead of James Alfred Cornhill on 19 April. [123057]
§ Mr. IngramNo. The matter is currently under investigation and the investigation is being supervised by the Independent Commission for Police Complaints.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the result of the ICPC inquiry into the shooting dead of Robin Charles Scott Maxwell in January 1994; and what were the findings of the coroner's inquest. [123056]
§ Mr. IngramThe Independent Commission for Police Complaints issued a statement of satisfaction as to the conduct of the investigation.
A Coroner's inquest found that, on the evening of 27 January 1994 two masked men entered the High Trees Garage with the intention of robbing the premises. The owner, Mr. Weir, spotted the robbers and alerted two policemen who were hidden in the store at the rear of the shop. On entering the shop the policemen were confronted by the two robbers, one carrying a cudgel and one holding a firearm to Mr. Weir's head. The policemen issued a warning and the robber who held the cudgel fled from the premises pursued by Constable Fox. The other robber, Robin Charles Scott Maxwell, turned and pointed a weapon in the direction of Constable 'A', who, fearing that his and the owner's life was in danger, discharged his firearm, killing Mr. Maxwell almost instantaneously. The jury found that the police had no plan to intercept or arrest the robbers before their arrival at the premises.