The Five Demands

Shivers not guilty of Massereene murders (UTV)

Brian Shivers, the man accused of killing two soldiers at Massereene Barracks in 2009, has been acquitted.

At Belfast Crown Court on Friday, the 47-year-old was found not guilty of the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, and 21-year-old Patrick Azimkar.

The soldiers were gunned down by the Real IRA as they collected pizza at the gates of Massereene Barracks in Antrim in March 2009, just hours before they were due to be deployed to Afghanistan.

The prosecution case centred on DNA evidence found on matchsticks and a mobile phone in and around the partially burned-out getaway vehicle.

But the defence said that did not prove Shivers was involved on the night of the shootings.

Shivers was acquitted of the attempted murders of four other soldiers and two delivery men, as well as possession of a gun used in the shooting.

He was also found not guilty of assisting offenders by burning the getaway car.

It is the second time Shivers was tried for the crimes, last year he was convicted and ordered to spend at least 25 years behind bars.

However the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and Shivers was then ordered to face a retrial.

Colin Duffy, a high profile republican from Lurgan, was also accused of the attack during the original trial. A judge at Antrim Crown Court found him not guilty of all charges.

Related articles

• Massereene Barracks Murders: Shivers Found Not Guilty (belfastdaily.co.uk)
• Verdict due in Massereene murders trial (newsletter.co.uk)
• Verdict due in soldier murder trial (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Man Acquitted Of British Soldiers’ Murder (news.sky.com)
• Massereene accused ‘had condemned gun attack’ (newsletter.co.uk)