Verdict in on the Stirlands double murder inquest
Thursday 9.30am - AN innocent couple gunned down by hired hitmen in Trusthorpe were left defenceless by police who knew their lives were threatened by a gangland boss, an inquest jury decided yesterday (Wednesday).
The jury ruled John and Joan Stirland were "unlawfully killed" after deciding detectives did not do enough to save them from crime boss Colin Gunn.
After listening to three weeks of evidence the jury decided failings by Nottinghamshire Police, who knew a "contract" had been taken out on the couple, contributed to their deaths in August 2004.
After the verdicts Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Julia Hodson apologised for her force's failings.
Earlier the Chairman of the Notts Police Authority announced he was stepping down from the post, but refused to give any reasons.
The hearing, held amid heavy security in Lincoln, investigated the background to the double murder at a "safe house" the Stirlands had fled to on Sutton Road, Trusthorpe in August 2004.
Mrs Stirland, 51, and her 55-year-old husband had moved there eight months earlier after shots were fired at their home in Carlton, Nottingham.
But they were traced by Gunn's henchmen and murdered in revenge for a killing committed by Mrs Stirland's son, Michael O'Brien
In 2006 Gunn, 40, of Bestwood, Nottingham, was jailed for 35 years over the murders which he ordered as retaliation after O'Brien killed a friend of his nephew, Jamie Gunn.
Yesterday after deliberating for 11 hours the jury of five women and six men decided Nottinghamshire police had failed to protect the couple.
The jury cleared Lincolnshire Police of any wrongdoing after hearing that information was missing from a report passed to them by
Nottinghamshire just three weeks before the Stirland's murders.
Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, Richard Crompton has issued a statement following the conclusion of the inquest.
* For the full story see the Mablethorpe Leader on Wednesday March 3.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sleaford
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
