A police officer, maimed by a Coldstream Guardsman

A police officer, maimed by a Coldstream Guardsman, showed
no emotion today Tuesday as the soldier apologised for what
he had done.

Lance Corporal Gregory Hobbins, 30, blew part of 27-year-old
PC Daniel Royston’s arm away with the latest high powered army
issue rifle.

It had been smuggled out of barracks by Hobbins.

The officer has been told that he will never be able to
perform active service again.

He stood stony-faced and stared straight ahead as Mr.

Nicholas
Purnell QC defending the soldier made the apology.

Counsel said: ‘Hobbins is very concerned, having done active
service himself overseas, and asks me to apologise to you.

He deeply regrets the injury you suffered.

‘
The court heard that Hobbins a military policeman based at Chelsea
Barracks stole the high powered SA 80 rifle after his girlfriend
receptionist Barbara Brady, 24, called off their affair.

Bradford-born Hobbins then marched round to her flat in
Nicoll Road, Harlesden, London NW after a drinking session
and held her hostage at gunpoint.

He fired two shots.

One maimed the officer.

The other
exploded into the chest of off duty security guard Christopher
Coyle, 31, killing him almost instantly.

PC Royston said that he was first on the scene with his colleague
WPC Kim Galloway.

They arrived at just after 2am on March 4
this year.

‘I could hear screaming coming from the room.

It was very
loud.

I had been to domestics before but this sounded like quite
a nasty one,’ the policeman said.

He said that he went and stood outside the Miss Brady’s
door and shouted loudly: ‘Police open the door.

‘
‘There was no response.

The screaming was very loud.

I stepped back and kicked the door with the sole of my right
foot.

At this point Mr.

Coyle ran in front of me.

The woman
inside screamed ”Get away from the door’.

There was a loud
bang.

I fell back away from the door.

‘
The policeman went on: ‘I think I shouted that I had been
shot.

I then used my personal raido to inform the station what
had happened.

I saw my left arm hanging loosely by my side.

Blood
was trickling into my hand.

I did not see what happpened to Mr.

Coyle,’ he said
The court heard that backup arrived within minutes and both
injured men were rushed to hospital.

PC Royston was detained
for 18 days and needed two operations.

‘I will never regain full movement of my arm .

I have been
told that I have no chance of performing active duty again.

But things are getting better all the time.

‘
Hobbins, a trained marksman who has served in Northern
Ireland, Germany and Cyprus, denies attempting to murder the
policeman, murder, stealing the rifle and ammunition and
possessing a rifle with intent to endanger life.

The court heard that after the shooting a three hour seige
developed before Hobbins was persuaded to release Miss Brady
and give himself up.

The trial continues.

ENDS
MMMM