Woman to be sentenced over police murder bid

By PA reporter

A woman who posed as a Swedish model to entrap two men into taking part in her bid to murder police officers is due to be sentenced today.

Christine Connor, 31, pleaded guilty in May to the attempted murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland and other terror offences.

Three of the charges relate to a homemade grenade thrown at a police vehicle in May 2013.

Connor lured Stuart Downes, from Shrewsbury, into her terror plot by using a fake online profile, including a fictitious name and photo of Swedish model Sanne Alexandra Andersson.

Mr Downes was arrested, questioned and charged with a series of offences linked to the May 2013 attack but took his own life in 2016.

Connor also lured Zachary Gevelinger from the United States into helping her after befriending him online through her fake identity. He recently took his own life.

Connor is due before Belfast Crown Court later on Tuesday morning for sentencing for: preparing terrorist acts between February 2013 and May 2013, possessing explosives with intent to endanger life, causing an explosion on two dates in May 2013 and attempting to murder a police officer.

The court heard previously that she had lured a police patrol to a house in the Crumlin Road area of north Belfast in May 2013 by claiming that a woman living there was in danger.

She is not believed to have been aligned to any dissident republican organisations.