Dissident pretended to be model to trap men in murder plot
Christine Connor, pictured in a police mugshot, posed as a Swedish model to entrap men into helping her murder police officers. She has now been jailed for 16 years
A woman ‘motivated by terrorism’ who posed as a Swedish model to entrap men into helping her murder police officers has been jailed for 16 years and four months.
Christine Connor, 31, gasped as Belfast Crown Court Judge David McFarland imposed the sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer and other terror offences.
Judge McFarland told Connor he believed she was dangerous and was ‘committed to a violent philosophy to achieve political objectives’.
To make the explosives and fund her lone wolf campaign, she enlisted the help of an English man and an American through social media accounts using a fake name and photographs of Swedish model Sanne Alexandra Andersson.
Both men ended up killing themselves.
Ms Anderson, who had no knowledge her photographs were being used, is engaged to Jacob Josefson, who plays for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League in the US.
After months of meticulous planning, Connor launched her first attack on officers in north Belfast on May 16 2013.
The attack failed but she used it as a trial run for another attack two weeks later on May 28.
Christine Connor (left, outside court), 31, from Belfast, used a fake photo of Sanne Andersson (right) without her consent to entice men into her plot to murder police officers
On that date, police received a phone call from Connor claiming to be a woman called Gemma who was in danger at her home on the Crumlin Road in Belfast.
In a recording of the 999 call, Connor could be heard telling the call handler: ‘I need the police. My boyfriend’s just come home and he’s smashing up the house and I don’t know what to do.’
When police responded to the emergency, she hid in a nearby alleyway and threw two blast bombs at them.
Luckily the officers escaped injury. Shrapnel from the explosives travelled up to 35 metres and was found lodged in nearby homes.
Ms Andersson (pictured) is engaged to Jacob Josefson, who plays for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League in the US
Following the attacks, a major terror probe involving police in Northern Ireland, West Mercia Police and the FBI, found that Connor had used her false online identity to enlist the help of Stuart Downes, 31, from Meole Brace in Shrewsbury, and Zachary Gevelinger from the United States.
It was discovered that she had communicated with both men via her ‘United Stuggle’ Facebook page which she had created for her one-member organisation.
Police uncovered a video Connor had made of the spot where she planned to launch her attack and her getaway route.
In the video, Connor filmed the walk from her home to the scene of the planned attack.
They also found the mobile phone she used to make the hoax 999 calls in the garden of a house in the adjoining alleyway.
When police searched her home mobile phones, laptops and sim cards were discovered hidden inside her mattress. Officers believe she used these to communicate with her co-conspirator Downes.
Downes is believed to have helped source and purchase the explosives for Connor and then shipped them to her in Belfast.
He was arrested and charged with attempted murder, possessing explosives and causing explosions with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property on May 16 and May 28.
He took his own life before he was due to stand trial in June 2016.
Police believe he played a ‘key part’ in the attacks and had found footage on his phone of him testing the explosive mix.
A mattress at the home of Christine Connor, who has been jailed for 16 years and four months
It was discovered that Connor had communicated with both men via her ‘United Stuggle’ Facebook page which she had created for her one-member organisation
Connor also enticed American man Zachary Gevelinger online using her fake identity.
Gevelinger was arrested and questioned by police after he visited Connor in Hydebank Prison in July 2013.
Detectives found correspondence from him to Connor in her house, as well as cheques he had sent her.
The FBI searched Zachary’s house in the US on behalf of the PSNI and seized computer equipment which confirmed the link to Connor.
He took his own life last month.
Undated handout photo issued by the PSNI of shrapnel left at the scene of the blast bomb
After pleading guilty on Tuesday to a number of terrorist acts, Connor has been sentenced to 16 years and four months in jail.
Judge McFarland described Mr Downey as a ‘pitiful, troubled and vulnerable young man’.
‘Why he became involved with you is a mystery,’ he added.
Judge McFarland told Connor there were ‘disturbing and sinister’ aspects to her relationship with Mr Downey and that she ‘appears to have been the controlling influence’.
A pair of gloves left at the scene of the attempted attack – the police officers survived
He said she had attempted to indoctrinate Mr Downey with her views of Irish history.
‘It’s within your power to manipulate others. You are committed to a violent philosophy to achieve political objectives. You have shown little remorse.
‘I find you dangerous,’ added the judge.
A prosecution barrister told the court Connor had been motivated by terrorism and the attacks were not spur of the moment.
Damage done to glass and window frame by the blast bomb attack
‘(Connor) was clearly committed to violent use of these weapons with the primary purpose of killing police officers,’ he said.
‘The case against her was overwhelming. She was caught red handed by the evidence.’
A defence lawyer said Connor, who has a number of health problems, was going to find life in prison ‘particularly difficult’ and asked the court to ‘extend leniency’.
Upon her release from prison, Connor will spend another three years and eight months on licence.
She will be entitled to apply to the Parole Board for an earlier release.
She waved at her family in the public gallery as she was taken away by prison guards.
Outside court, PSNI Detective Superintendent Richard Campbell said he welcomed the sentence.
He said Connor is a ‘dangerous individual who manipulated others to her will’.
He added: ‘She has a very twisted political ideology which she has been determined to pursue through violence.
‘She is undoubtedly a dangerous individual.’
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