'Murder phone' that led to killers

by Chris Summers
BBC News

Three men have been convicted of conspiracy to murder a couple at their seaside home in August 2004. The trial heard how the gang bought two pay-as-you-go mobile phones specifically for use in the killings.

The couple were murdered in their home

As Michael "Tricky" McNee waited for his instructions from his paymasters he wiled away the time playing games on a mobile phone.

The 20-year-old was one of two hitmen hired to kill John and Joan Stirland early in August 2004.

The man who ordered the killing - who cannot be named for legal reasons - bought a mobile phone in Skegness earlier that week and on Sunday 8 August the phone was in the hands of McNee.

The gang's phones The grey phone - belonged to the 39-year-old defendant (cannot be named for legal reasons) The purple phone - bought by the 39-year-old defendant in Skegness on 4 August 2004, five days before the murder of the Stirlands The red phone - belonged to John Russell The lime phone - Michael McNee

Police know that at 2.12pm that day his "employer" was trying to get through to him but McNee's phone was engaged. He was phoning a Wap site, to play games.

Prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC gave each phone in the case a colour code. The phone in McNee's hand was "purple phone" and his boss was using "aqua phone".

"It's as if who ever had purple phone is waiting and killing time. We suggest it's McNee and he is waiting to be given his orders by (the 39-year-old defendant)," said Mr Spencer.

Six minutes later a call did get through to McNee.

In a 14-second call the order was made to move in and execute the Stirlands.

McNee, and his accomplice "John John" Russell, 29, climbed over a fence at the back of the property, entered the tiny chalet and gunned down John Stirland and his wife Joan as they took a breather from the intense summer heat.

The getaway car was found burnt out near the village of Hannah

The killers sped off in a black Volkswagen Passat which was abandoned and set on fire near the hamlet of Hannah, south west of Trusthorpe.

The 39-year-old defendant picked them up in another car and the killers drove back to Nottingham and disposed of the mobile phones.

Mr Spencer told the jury: "Purple phone is a murder phone. It is a phone that was obtained for the purpose of communications relating to the killing of the Stirlands.

"It was only live over five days, between the afternoon of 4 August and the afternoon the Stirlands met their death.

"It was, if you like, a dirty - or rather very dirty - phone and it was meant probably never to be discovered, but it was."

Involvement denied

The purple phone had been bought at a branch of Woolworth's in Skegness and when police found evidence of that transaction - at 06.47 BST on 4 August - they were able to tie it to the 39-year-old defendant who had paid for it by cash but was caught on CCTV at around the same time.

It is a phone that was obtained for the purpose of communications relating to the killing of the Stirlands Timothy Spencer QC Prosecutor

Detectives also found a sim card - belonging to the 39-year-old's "grey" phone - which contained evidence of calls between him and his co-defendants at key times. The sim card had been given to an associate in Nottingham, but he had failed to dispose of it properly.

During the trial Russell denied being involved with the killings and claimed he and McNee were actually on the Lincolnshire coast to "babysit" a consignment of amphetamines which was hidden in a beach chalet.

"I am a petty criminal, not a murderer," said Russell.

But the jury did not believe him and now he and his co-defendants have been jailed for life for the murders of John and Joan Stirland.