A SHAMED police officer who sold guns surrendered for destruction went on to handle a triple murderer’s gun licence application.

Damien Cobain, a firearm inquiry officer with Durham Constabulary, was employed to process weapons handed in during amnesties, by the relatives of deceased gun enthusiasts or seized in operations.

Instead he took advantage of departmental failings to run his own trade in shotguns and rifles.

Now, during an inquest in Crook, County Durham, it has emerged that Cobain handled taxi driver Michael Atherton’s shotgun and firearms licence application in 2006 and 2008.

Atherton shot dead his partner Susan McGoldrick, 47, Alison Turnbull, 44, and Tanya Turnbull, 24, in the Horden New Year’s Day shootings, before shooting himself in the head.

At an inquest into the four deaths, held at the Civic Centre, it emerged that Cobain had been the firearms inquiry officer who ran Atherton’s names through a series of police systems to check for previous convictions and previous domestic violence incidents.

His name was only made public after members of the Press challenged an anonymity ruling.

In his evidence, Cobain said that he had never seen guidance by the Home Office or the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on the issuing of gun certificates.

He said: “I had never had any formal training. I just shadowed an officer for a day and a half.”

Another officer, Karen Bromley, who was a supervisor in the Durham Constabulary firearms office, told the hearing: “There was no formal training, I’m not aware of any formal training in firearm departments. Around 90% of application forms were straightforward.”

During the inquest coroner Andrew Tweddle described Durham Force’s procedures as more of an “ad hoc arrangement”.

Despite having a history of domestic violence Atherton legally owned six weapons, including three shotguns. Ms Bromley had attached a note to his file which read: “Four domestics – last one 24/4/04 – was cautioned for assault. Still resides with partner & son & daughter. Would like to refuse – have we sufficient info – refuse re public safety.”

But despite this, deputy force solicitor Stephen Mooney recommended approval of the licence. Giving evidence at the inquest he said he would “err on the side of caution” when dealing with cases and Atherton’s application had been borderline.

Mr Tweddle asked him why he did not seek to have the certificate refused and whether he feared the possible cost of an appeal.

Mr Mooney said: “We were not running scared of appeal or the costs of appeal, we needed to look at what we could prove evidentially and we had reached an evidential cul-de-sac.

“If I could change it, in a heartbeat I would. My advice was based on the information I had at the time.”

Post-mortem examinations revealed that Ms McGoldrick and Mrs Turnbull died of a single shot to the back, which damaged their internal organs.

Ms Turnbull was shot twice in the back and had pellet wounds to her hand. All shots were fired at close range before Atherton shot himself in the head.

Pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper said Atherton had about one and half times the alcohol driving limit in his blood at the time, which was the equivalent to a few drinks.

Cobain left the force after his conviction in 2010 when he was given a suspended sentence for the offence.

The inquest continues.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

January 1, 2012: Michael Atherton kills his partner Susan McGoldrick, 47, her sister Alison Turnbull, 44, and niece Tanya Turnbull, 24, at 11.45pm at their home at Greenside Avenue, Horden, near Peterlee. Michael Jnr and Susan’s daughter Laura escape.

 

 

May 2012: Alison Turnbull’s son Bobby launches petition on tightening gun licensing in the UK.

July 2012: The family were thrown into fresh agony when Bryan Hardman, Alison and Susan’s brother, plunged into a coma after a fall at work.

August 2012: Bobby and Andrew Foster come together in their battle to change Britain’s flawed gun licensing laws. Andrew’s brother Christopher shot dead his wife Jill, their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie and the family’s horses and dogs before setting their Shropshire mansion on fire and killing himself.

September 2012: Bobby’s gets a tattoo of three angels on his back, which represent his mum, sister and aunt.

October 2012: Easington’s Labour MP Grahame Morris announces plans for Parliamentary debate on firearms licensing.

November 2012: A leaked IPCC report reveals how Atherton was allowed to keep his guns despite complaints of domestic violence and threatening to "shoot his head off".

 

 

 

 

 

February 6, 2013: Bobby meets Yvette Cooper at Houses of Parliament.

March 4, 2013: Inquest into the deaths of Susan, Alison, Tanya and Atherton.