Gerald Corrigan: Pensioner shot with crossbow by ‘killer hiding behind garden wall’

A pensioner was “callously” shot with a crossbow by a killer hiding behind a garden wall late at night, a court has heard.

Jurors have heard how Gerald Corrigan, a 74-year-old retired lecturer, was outside his home in a remote part of Anglesey, Wales, when he was hit by a crossbow bolt on 19 April last year in what prosecutors have alleged was a planned attack.

“When he left his home to look at [his] Sky dish, there was someone waiting outside, in the dark, armed with a high-powered crossbow,” prosecutor Peter Rouch QC told Mold Crown Court on Wednesday.

“A crossbow, members of the jury, is a silent, quick and deadly weapon.”

Terence Whall, a 39-year-old sports therapist, has denied murdering Mr Corrigan.

The pensioner had left his house to adjust his satellite dish after the signal was interrupted and, according to Mr Rouch, believed he had been electrocuted by the dish when the bolt passed through him.

He died in hospital on 11 May as a result of multiple organ failure caused by the injury.

When a paramedic arrived at the scene they found the garden gate was open and a crossbow bolt, covered in blood, was lying on the grass.

Mr Rouch has alleged that Mr Whall walked from a nearby beach to Mr Corrigan’s home, which is known as Gof Du, to kill him.

“Once at Gof Du he prepared himself to shoot and kill Mr Corrigan,” the prosecutor said.

“He interrupted the satellite signal, maybe by just interfering with the Sky dish, and, hiding behind the wall, waited for Mr Corrigan to exit his house.

“When he did so, he callously shot him.”

Jurors heard that a Land Rover Discovery belonging to Mr Whall’s partner was found burned out on 3 June, two weeks after he was questioned by police over his possession of crossbows.

Information retained from the car showed it had travelled to the driveway of Mr Corrigan’s home and then to the nearby Porth Dafarch beach on the night of 17 April.

The car remained at the beach for an hour and a half until 12.42am, about 12 minutes after Mr Corrigan was shot, the court heard.

Information from the car also showed the boot was opened and closed when the car arrived at the beach and before it left.

Although Mr Whall had owned two crossbows, he has claimed he sold one to a stranger before the killing and the second was not delivered until after the attack.

The sports therapist and his co-defendants – Darren Jones, Martin Roberts and Gavin Jones – have denied conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to commit arson in relation to the Land Rover.

Mr Whall has claimed the car was stolen before it was found burned out, while Darren Jones and Mr Roberts have denied arson.

Last year, Mr Corrigan’s family released a statement on the “shocking incident” and said they could not think of anyone who would have wanted to harm him.

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