Chilling video at trial opening

CCTV footage of a gun attack that left two British soldiers dead in 2009 was shown at the trial of two men accused of their murder.

Patrick Azimkar, 21, from North London, and Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham were shot dead the night before they were due to leave for Afghanistan.

They were shot dead outside the gates of Massereene army barracks in Antrim Town as they waited to collect a pizza delivery.

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Colin Duffy, 43, from Lurgan, and Brian Shivers, 46, from Magherafelt, both deny any role in the murders that took place on the evening of March 9, 2009.

The Real IRA claimed responsibility for the killings adding that the civilian pizza deliverymen were also legitimate targets as they were "collaborating with the British by servicing them."

Two days after the killing the Continuity IRA shot dead a PSNI officer in Craigavon, County Armagh.

On Monday, the prosecution described the CCTV images as "graphic", and some members of the families of the two deceased soldiers left the court as the footage was shown.

The court saw soldiers in desert fatigues exiting the gates of the barracks shortly before being approached by two gunmen dressed mainly in black, who then opened fire.

Wearing balaclavas, the gunmen then walked around two pizza delivery vehicles, apparently looking for soldiers lying on the ground to shoot them again.

Terence Mooney QC said that "chillingly, the gunmen then moved forward to shoot the solders on the ground to ensure they were killed."

He also outlined how Patrick Azimkar pushed a colleague to the ground before he was shot dead.

A number of other people were wounded during the attack, including a man delivering pizza to the soldiers. The trial is expected to last five weeks.

 

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