Inquest into murder couple deaths

The couple were shot dead in their bungalow

A coroner has ordered an inquest into deaths of Joan and John Stirland, who were murdered in a Lincolnshire village in 2004.

East Lincolnshire Coroner Stuart Fisher ordered the inquest after a plea from the son of victims, who were shot dead in Trusthorpe in a revenge killing.

Colin Gunn, 40, of Nottingham was jailed for 35 years for their murder.

During Gunn's trial, a court heard he ordered their deaths after Mrs Stirland's son killed a family friend.

The Stirlands had fled to Lincolnshire from Nottingham after their son, Michael O'Brien, murdered Marvyn Bradshaw, 22, outside a pub in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire.

Murder conspiracy

Gunn ordered the killing because he wanted revenge after his nephew Jamie Gunn, who witnessed Mr Bradshaw's death, fell into a deep depression and died from pneumonia.

He was jailed for conspiracy to murder the Stirlands along with John Russell, 29, and Michael McNee, 22, who were jailed for 30 and 25 years respectively, in 2006.

Mr Fisher will hold an inquest into the couple's deaths after deciding at a preliminary hearing he had "sufficient cause" to do so.

A full inquest, which is expected to last three weeks, is expected to start in January.

Earlier this year an Independent Police Complaints Commission probe into the murders of the Stirlands concluded it was likely nothing could have saved them from Gunn.

Home attacked

However, the commission said the protection provided to them in the run-up to the murders still fell "below acceptable levels".

The couple fled to Trusthorpe after their home in Nottingham was attacked.

The inquiry concluded Nottinghamshire officers did not supply enough information to colleagues in Lincolnshire about the threat the pair faced.

Mr Fisher said the inquest will consider whether alleged failures by Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire police to properly protect the couple contributed to their deaths.

He also said the scope of the inquest will be broader than usual because it will consider whether their deaths was a violation of section two of the Human Rights Act which protects the right to life.