Four jailed after grandmother killed on own doorstep in Moreton
Jacqueline Rutter was shot twice in the chest in October 2022
Four men have been jailed for a total of over 100 years after a grandmother was killed in her own home on the Wirral.
Jacqueline Rutter, 53, was shot twice as she opened the door of her house on Meadowbrook Road in Moreton in the early hours of Sunday 30 October 2022.
Simon Allen, 55, of no fixed abode, James Byrne, 24, of no fixed abode, and David Harrison, 59, of Old Meadow Road, Pensby, have been convicted of murder, arson and possession of firearms and ammunition.
Barrie Glynn, 47, of Westway, in Heswall, has been convicted of manslaughter, possession of firearms and ammunition and arson.
During a three-month trial, the jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard that the attack was motivated by an alleged robbery - in which Jacqueline's sons reportedly stole a drugs phone.
The jury at the trial in Liverpool Crown Court was shown CCTV of three men, including Byrne and Glynn, arriving at her house in a black car minutes before she was shot.
The two passengers, one of which was Byrne, got out of the back of the car and went to her front door.
When she answered, she was shot at twice; one shot hit her in her chest and killed her.
The two men then got back into the car, which drove off and was then set on fire in a nearby street by a fourth man, Simon Allen, who had been waiting with two other vehicles, a silver Ford and a Yamaha Motorbike.
They all then fled the scene, three in the silver car and one on the motorbike.
Byrne was then identified by police as the person who fired the gun - a third man involved in the shooting remains at large, having fled the country.
The Crown Prosecution Service says the plot to murder Jacqueline was only successful because the men were signed up to the plan and carried out their specific roles.
David Harrison was involved in transporting the other men before and after the murder and helped with the clear up operation.
Anna McGinn, 26, of Frankby Stiles, Frankby, Wirral, was found not guilty of helping Byrne and the third man avoid arrest.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath said:
"Our thoughts today are very much with the family of Jacqueline who was known by them and her friends as Jackie. Her family are completely devastated by what happened to the mother of six children and grandmother to five grandchildren and it has been heart-breaking for them to relive her final moments during this trial.
"We only hope that the decision today after such a lengthy trial will bring some closure to Jackie’s family as her killers are bought to justice.
"Another example of the dreadful results of taking weapons onto our streets"
"Over the past three years since Jackie’s death our team have been determined to bring this case to court and see justice served. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the investigation team for their continued hard work and commitment and to the Crown Prosecution Service for the successful prosecution of the case.
"This case is yet another example of the dreadful results of taking weapons onto our streets and into our communities. We are committed in disrupting serious organised crime and we will take all necessary steps to make sure those suspected of carrying dangerous weapons are put before the courts."
Specialist Prosecutor, James Allison of CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said:
"This has been an incredibly difficult case.
"Even though the murder was captured on CCTV, there were no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence.
"All four of the men were in this together"
"What was evident from piecing together complex strands of evidence was that all four of the men were in this together and were signed up to the plan to shoot Jacqueline.
"Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Jacqueline."