The family of a man shot by an off-duty policeman watched CCTV footage of his death today.
Marc Alexander Ringland died after being hit in the chest during a robbery at a petrol station in east Belfast last February.
His inquest at Belfast’s Old Town Hall was shown a DVD recording of the moments leading up to his death.
Mr Ringland’s relatives and the jury of eight men and two women saw how he had stolen cash from a till at knifepoint and was making his way out of the shop when he was confronted by the off-duty officer.
The court heard that Mr Ringland, a father of one from Calvin Street in east Belfast, had a lengthy criminal record with 133 convictions for crimes including robbery.
Witnesses recalled how the officer had shouted verbal warnings before he opened fire and discharged one round.
Assistant state pathologist Dr James Lyness said it was unlikely Mr Ringland would have survived his injuries even if a cardiac surgeon had been with him at the time.
Dr Lyness said: “Even if a chest surgeon was there and a full operating table was in the garage it was still bleak.”
No criminal proceedings were taken against the off-duty policeman whose identity has not been made public.
Jeff Smyth, acting director of investigations with the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’s Office, said no guidelines had been breached.