Man jailed for killing RUC officer

Police found forensic evidence near the murder scene

An Armagh man has been jailed for life for the murder of a former part-time RUC reservist in the city nearly three years ago.

Neil Sheridan, 25, from Callanbridge Park was convicted on Monday morning at Belfast Crown Court of killing Cyril Stewart.

He gunned Mr Stewart down in front of his wife in a supermarket carpark in March 1998.

Cyril Stewart: Murdered in front of his wife

The couple were approached by two gunmen, one of whom fired a number of shots at the retired police officer, and when he fell to the ground fired further shots at him.

The killing was later admitted by the republican splinter group, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).

Clothing worn by the gunmen was found in a wheeled bin a short distance away from the shooting scene.

Lord Justice Nicholson said he was satisfied from forensic evidence and a fingerprint of Sheridan's found on a bag in the bin that he was the gunman.

Sheridan was driven to court sitting

Passing sentence the judge said: "I have convicted you as the cold-blooded killer of Cyril Stewart whom you shot down at point-blank range and continued to fire at as he lay dying on the ground.

"That you did so in front of his wife makes your crime all the more wicked.

"In my opinion you are a danger to the public and will continue to be so for a long time to come."

In November, 1999, 25-year-old Barry Morgan, also from Armagh, was jailed for life for the murder of Mr Stewart.

He has since been freed under the Good Friday Agreement paramilitary prisoners early release scheme.