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| Dale Cregan trial: 'police officers were murdered in hail of bullets' | Dale Cregan trial: 'police officers were murdered in hail of bullets' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Two unarmed women police officers were shot dead in a hail of bullets after a gunman lured them to a spurious burglary, a court has heard. | Two unarmed women police officers were shot dead in a hail of bullets after a gunman lured them to a spurious burglary, a court has heard. |
| PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 23, died within moments of arriving at a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, last September. | PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 23, died within moments of arriving at a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, last September. |
| Nicholas Clarke QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Preston crown court that both officers were murdered by 29-year-old Dale Cregan at the end of a four-month manhunt. | Nicholas Clarke QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Preston crown court that both officers were murdered by 29-year-old Dale Cregan at the end of a four-month manhunt. |
| Cregan first went on the run from police after a gang shot dead a father and son – both of them members of a rival family – in Droylsden, east Manchester. | |
| Clarke said: "On 18 September Cregan called in a spurious burglary at Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, luring two unarmed police officers to investigate. He lay in wait with a Glock firearm with an extended magazine that was fully loaded. | Clarke said: "On 18 September Cregan called in a spurious burglary at Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, luring two unarmed police officers to investigate. He lay in wait with a Glock firearm with an extended magazine that was fully loaded. |
| "PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes attended. As soon as they arrived, Cregan shot the officers repeatedly – until his magazine was empty. | "PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes attended. As soon as they arrived, Cregan shot the officers repeatedly – until his magazine was empty. |
| "As he left the scene he threw a grenade towards his victims." | "As he left the scene he threw a grenade towards his victims." |
| The court heard that Cregan, from Manchester, had a grievance with the family of David Short, 46. | The court heard that Cregan, from Manchester, had a grievance with the family of David Short, 46. |
| On 25 May last year, Short was enjoying a night out at the Cotton Tree public house in Droylsden with a group of friends and relatives. | |
| He was in the toilet when a group of men burst into the pub and opened fire on people in the pub. | He was in the toilet when a group of men burst into the pub and opened fire on people in the pub. |
| Although he survived, his son, Mark, died in the attack and three other men suffered gunshot wounds. | Although he survived, his son, Mark, died in the attack and three other men suffered gunshot wounds. |
| David Short emerged from the toilet to find his son lying fatally injured. His son died in his arms. | David Short emerged from the toilet to find his son lying fatally injured. His son died in his arms. |
| Following the murder, Short went on daily visits to his son's grave. He would be accompanied by his partner, Michelle, and their grandchildren. | Following the murder, Short went on daily visits to his son's grave. He would be accompanied by his partner, Michelle, and their grandchildren. |
| The cemetery visits were well known in the community. On 10 August, unusually, Short did not go to Droylsden cemetery as usual. | The cemetery visits were well known in the community. On 10 August, unusually, Short did not go to Droylsden cemetery as usual. |
| "He had some errands to do, and so murderers went to his home and killed him there," said Clarke. | "He had some errands to do, and so murderers went to his home and killed him there," said Clarke. |
| "He was chased through the house and shot many times. He tried to run around the side of the house to escape. | "He was chased through the house and shot many times. He tried to run around the side of the house to escape. |
| "His injuries were already unsurvivable, and then a grenade was thrown onto him. It's explosion had devastating consequences for his torso. | "His injuries were already unsurvivable, and then a grenade was thrown onto him. It's explosion had devastating consequences for his torso. |
| "It is the first time in this country that a military grenade has been deployed in this way." | "It is the first time in this country that a military grenade has been deployed in this way." |
| The killers immediately drove to the home of another intended victim, Sharon Hark, but the attempted murder was foiled when the gun misfired. | The killers immediately drove to the home of another intended victim, Sharon Hark, but the attempted murder was foiled when the gun misfired. |
| A grenade was thrown at the front of the house, and a second one detonated in the back of the gang's hired van. They then escaped in a second vehicle and went on the run. | A grenade was thrown at the front of the house, and a second one detonated in the back of the gang's hired van. They then escaped in a second vehicle and went on the run. |
| All the alleged killers were subsequently arrested, with the exception of Cregan. He continued to evade capture despite a widespread manhunt. | All the alleged killers were subsequently arrested, with the exception of Cregan. He continued to evade capture despite a widespread manhunt. |
| Despite his picture being published on posters and aired on television, there were no sightings of him until the day he re-emerged to allegedly murder the two women officers. | Despite his picture being published on posters and aired on television, there were no sightings of him until the day he re-emerged to allegedly murder the two women officers. |
| Cregan denies murdering PCs Bone and Hughes. | Cregan denies murdering PCs Bone and Hughes. |
| Cregan; Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne; Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley; Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop; Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden; and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, deny murdering Mark Short and attempting to murder three other men in the Cotton Tree. | |
| Cregan; Francis Dixon, 37, from Stockport; Anthony Wilkinson, 38, from Manchester; and Jermaine Ward, 24, all deny the murder of David Short. | |
| All four are also jointly accused of the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day and a single charge of causing an explosion. | All four are also jointly accused of the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day and a single charge of causing an explosion. |
| Wilkinson is additionally charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender. | Wilkinson is additionally charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender. |
| Clarke told the jury about the background to the murder of Mark Short at the Cotton Tree pub. He said the Shorts had been involved in a long-standing feud with another local family, the Atkinsons. | |
| "The families had reached a state of uneasy peace following their lengthy dispute. | |
| "However, on 13 May 2012, an incident began in the Gardeners Arms and carried on in the Cotton Tree public house. This was between Theresa Atkinson, the matriarch of the Atkinsons, and Raymond Young, a member of the Short family. | |
| Theresa Atkinson was drunk and lashed out with a bottle, striking Young. It led to Raymond Young 'back handing' Theresa Atkinson. | |
| "She responded by shouting, 'I'm going to get you done by my sons, I'm gonna get you done by my sons'. She added: 'You just wait here, you're dead.'" | |
| In the hours after the confrontation, Theresa Atkinson repeatedly made contact with her son, Leon, on his mobile phone. | |
| The next morning the two of them had a telephone conversation, and immediately afterwards Leon made attempts to contact his two brothers. He also sent a text message to his old friend Cregan. | |
| Cregan then began to make contact with the other defendants who were to be involved in the incident at the Cotton Tree. | |
| "They were being recruited to the plan – hatched by Atkinson and Cregan – for revenge." | |
| The jury was told that David Short received a message to say Leon Atkinson wanted his phone number so he could speak to him. | |
| Short was not prepared to disclose his number, so instead he was given a number for Atkinson. He in turn passed the number to his relative, Raymond Young. | |
| On 15 May, Young put in a call to Atkinson and the two men discussed the incident in the Cotton Tree. | |
| "It seems that at some point a fight was proposed as a method of resolving the matter," said Clarke. "Young declined the invitation to fight. | |
| "David Short also spoke to Atkinson and told him 'his mam had been out of order'. | |
| "Atkinson wanted satisfaction. Clearly this phone call produced no apology from Young and no resolution to the incident. Although David Short was led to believe that the matter had been concluded, Young appreciated that in fact Leon Atkinson was trying to lure them into a false sense of security. | |
| "The prosecution's case is that contrary to what David Short thought, matters were far from resolved for the Atkinson family, who were of the view that the assault on Theresa Atkinson could not go unpunished. | |
| "They decided to exact revenge for the lack of respect shown towards Theresa Atkinson and so the shootings at the Cotton Tree were a direct reprisal." | |
| The killers' plan was put into effect ten days later, when Leon Atkinson was deliberately 'out of the way' in Wales. But he was still able to direct an operation in which the Cotton Tree was kept under surveillance until the gang were sure the Shorts were there. | |
| Mark Short was playing pool when a blue Ford Focus pulled up at the side of the pub and the balaclava-clad killer got out of the front passenger door. | |
| "The gunman took a single step into the pub and lifted his right arm," Clarke said. | |
| "Those in the Cotton Tree who saw the gunman concluded he was white as the skin around his eyes was visible. He was positioned half in, half out of the door. In his outstretched hand was a gun. The gun was fired." | |
| Mark Short, who was nearest to the door, fell to the ground. Three more men, John Collins, Michael Belcher and Ryan Pridding, were also hit as they went to the floor. | |
| "After firing seven shots in quick succession the gunman left through the door he had entered and jumped back into the waiting Ford Focus." | |
| The trial is expected to last at least 10 weeks. On Thursday about 150 police officers – some of them armed with machine guns – were on duty around the court complex. | |
| The parents of both dead police officers were in the public gallery for the start of the trial. PC Bone's sister, Vicky, and the officer's partner, Clare Curran, also attended. | The parents of both dead police officers were in the public gallery for the start of the trial. PC Bone's sister, Vicky, and the officer's partner, Clare Curran, also attended. |