This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/13/dale-cregan-officer-families-tribute
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Dale Cregan: officers' families pay tribute to fearless women | Dale Cregan: officers' families pay tribute to fearless women |
| (4 months later) | |
| The families of the two police officers murdered by Dale Cregan in a gun and grenade attack have spoken of their relief that he will spend the rest of his life in jail. | The families of the two police officers murdered by Dale Cregan in a gun and grenade attack have spoken of their relief that he will spend the rest of his life in jail. |
| Police constables Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, were lured to a house on the Hattersley estate in Mottram, east of Manchester, on 18 September 2012 after Cregan made a 999 call supposedly reporting vandalism. | Police constables Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, were lured to a house on the Hattersley estate in Mottram, east of Manchester, on 18 September 2012 after Cregan made a 999 call supposedly reporting vandalism. |
| Bone's father, Paul, a retired RAF aircraft engineer, said Cregan perhaps deserved the death penalty. "In certain circumstances I think it would be a good idea and this possibly is one of them," he said in an interview. Asked whether he would hang his daughter's killer, he said: "As long as I didn't have to do it – it's the coward's way out." | Bone's father, Paul, a retired RAF aircraft engineer, said Cregan perhaps deserved the death penalty. "In certain circumstances I think it would be a good idea and this possibly is one of them," he said in an interview. Asked whether he would hang his daughter's killer, he said: "As long as I didn't have to do it – it's the coward's way out." |
| Her sister, Vicky, 36, said she was relieved Cregan would die in jail: "I'm glad he's not coming back out because he's not safe to the general public. I don't think he will ever be rehabilitated. I wouldn't trust him to be released." | Her sister, Vicky, 36, said she was relieved Cregan would die in jail: "I'm glad he's not coming back out because he's not safe to the general public. I don't think he will ever be rehabilitated. I wouldn't trust him to be released." |
| "I wonder if he would have done what he did if capital punishment was still in."The family said Bone and her partner, Clare, had been due to have a civil partnership ceremony last month and she had planned to adopt Clare's daughter, Jessie. "We were told by a colleague she was doing a rough-out of the wedding invitations on the day she was killed," said Peter Bone. | "I wonder if he would have done what he did if capital punishment was still in."The family said Bone and her partner, Clare, had been due to have a civil partnership ceremony last month and she had planned to adopt Clare's daughter, Jessie. "We were told by a colleague she was doing a rough-out of the wedding invitations on the day she was killed," said Peter Bone. |
| "They were really, really enthusiastic and excited about it," said Vicky. "Clare and Fiona pretty much organised it themselves. They pretty much got it nailed, we just helped out with decorations and girly stuff." | "They were really, really enthusiastic and excited about it," said Vicky. "Clare and Fiona pretty much organised it themselves. They pretty much got it nailed, we just helped out with decorations and girly stuff." |
| Hughes, a karate champion, was described as fearless. "One of her sergeants at Hyde [police station] said she had the body of a lion cub and the heart of a lion. That's right, that's definitely Nicola," said her father, Bryn Hughes. | Hughes, a karate champion, was described as fearless. "One of her sergeants at Hyde [police station] said she had the body of a lion cub and the heart of a lion. That's right, that's definitely Nicola," said her father, Bryn Hughes. |
| Natalie Hughes, her stepmother, said: "She wasn't frightened of getting hurt. If somebody kicked her in the head, she wouldn't cry. It wouldn't faze her." | Natalie Hughes, her stepmother, said: "She wasn't frightened of getting hurt. If somebody kicked her in the head, she wouldn't cry. It wouldn't faze her." |
| They told how Hughes once climbed through a dog flap to get into a house and another time was thrown over a fence by her colleagues, on both occasions to pursue a suspect. | They told how Hughes once climbed through a dog flap to get into a house and another time was thrown over a fence by her colleagues, on both occasions to pursue a suspect. |
| They described another incident where she chased a thief who had stolen a handbag from a shop, "barged him into a doorway" and kept him there until he was arrested. Mr Hughes said: "She wasn't reckless or daft. She did whatever she could to deal with a situation because that's what she was like." | They described another incident where she chased a thief who had stolen a handbag from a shop, "barged him into a doorway" and kept him there until he was arrested. Mr Hughes said: "She wasn't reckless or daft. She did whatever she could to deal with a situation because that's what she was like." |
| Her stepmother said: "She loved her job. I can't think of anybody who loved her job that much. She was driven and if she wanted something she would go out and get it." | Her stepmother said: "She loved her job. I can't think of anybody who loved her job that much. She was driven and if she wanted something she would go out and get it." |
| Her father added: "I was very proud. I know you worry about your kids and hope they get a job and settle down. It was never like that with Nicola because of how she was as a child and growing up. She was determined about what she wanted to do." | Her father added: "I was very proud. I know you worry about your kids and hope they get a job and settle down. It was never like that with Nicola because of how she was as a child and growing up. She was determined about what she wanted to do." |
| Bone's father said she had never expressed any fears about her job, but complained how boring it was policing the annual party conferences in Manchester. She did not like football matches either – "you don't see anything, you just look at the crowd" – but generally enjoyed her role, finding it more exciting than her old desk job with Direct Line insurance. | Bone's father said she had never expressed any fears about her job, but complained how boring it was policing the annual party conferences in Manchester. She did not like football matches either – "you don't see anything, you just look at the crowd" – but generally enjoyed her role, finding it more exciting than her old desk job with Direct Line insurance. |
| Bone described his daughter's funeral, when the streets of Manchester came to a standstill. "We are ever so grateful to the people of Manchester and all those police who came up to the funeral. It wasn't a funeral I had ever experienced before – it was like a state occasion. And going to Mottram [where the officers were killed] to the vigil was totally amazing and very moving. | Bone described his daughter's funeral, when the streets of Manchester came to a standstill. "We are ever so grateful to the people of Manchester and all those police who came up to the funeral. It wasn't a funeral I had ever experienced before – it was like a state occasion. And going to Mottram [where the officers were killed] to the vigil was totally amazing and very moving. |
| "The first time we knew how it had affected ordinary policemen was when we went to the coroner's court and the policemen that were guarding the court wanted to hug and shake hands and generally not act like policemen act. By that stage, we met her shift so we knew they were affected – you expect them to be affected because they were part of her team, but the people at the coroner's court were not part of her team, they were upset as well." | "The first time we knew how it had affected ordinary policemen was when we went to the coroner's court and the policemen that were guarding the court wanted to hug and shake hands and generally not act like policemen act. By that stage, we met her shift so we knew they were affected – you expect them to be affected because they were part of her team, but the people at the coroner's court were not part of her team, they were upset as well." |
| Hughes's family spoke of receiving thousands of cards from well-wishers, including one with a photo of a double rainbow over Hyde taken on the day the officers were killed. Her stepmother said: "If we had not had that kind of support from the police in the very early days, we could not have kept going. We didn't know what way was up. We were kind of just there for the first few weeks but we weren't really there. We were just like zombies." | Hughes's family spoke of receiving thousands of cards from well-wishers, including one with a photo of a double rainbow over Hyde taken on the day the officers were killed. Her stepmother said: "If we had not had that kind of support from the police in the very early days, we could not have kept going. We didn't know what way was up. We were kind of just there for the first few weeks but we weren't really there. We were just like zombies." |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |