Gerald Corrigan, 74, went outside his house at midnight to check his satellite dish after the TV signal failed. It was a trap: he was shot in the dark with a crossbow bolt, which punctured internal organs and led to his death three weeks later from sepsis. His killer was Terence Whall, 39, convicted today of Corrigan’s murder.
Police suspected Whall, a local with a crossbow collection, but had no evidence to tie him to the crime. How was he caught? His partner’s car was mysteriously torched, which led police to contact its manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, which sent them its backed-up telematics records.
The vehicle was driven to Corrigan’s house the day before the killing, then to a nearby beach, then back to Whall’s residence. On the day itself, the car was driven to the beach an hour before the attack. It was next started about 12 minutes after it.
The system recorded the trunk being opened and closed twice, before and after Corrigan was shot.
Image: Family photo (handout) / Crown Prosecution Service