One-eyed police killer Cregan cleared of grenade attack

ONE-EYED police killer Dale Cregan is set to die in prison with a whole life sentence for murdering four people after his long-running trial came to an end today.
Dale CreganDale Cregan
Dale Cregan

Cregan, 30, had previously pleaded guilty during the trial to killing policewomen Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, and father and son David Short, 46, and Mark Short, 23, last year.

He also admitted the attempted murders of three others and causing an explosion with a hand-grenade.

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A jury at Preston Crown Court today found him not guilty of one remaining count of attempted murder involving a grenade attack on Sharon Hark, which he denied.

Dale CreganDale Cregan
Dale Cregan

Cregan went on the run days before he killed David Short last August after he gunned down his son, Mark, in a pub in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, three months earlier.

The manhunt reached a ghastly conclusion on September 18 when he lured the unarmed constables with a bogus 999 call to a house in Abbey Gardens in Hattersley.

He gave a false name as he reported a concrete slab had been thrown through a back window.

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His last comment to the call handler as he was told officers were on the way was: “I’ll be waiting.”

He opened the front door as they walked up the front garden path and immediately shot them in the chest with a Glock handgun.

Cregan shot Pc Hughes eight times, including three strikes to the head as she lay on the ground.

Pc Bone was hit up to eight times after she managed to draw and fire her Taser as Cregan discharged 32 bullets in total in barely half a minute.

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He then left his “calling card” of a military grenade which he threw it on the path where the two officers lay.

The killer then dropped his gun and drove a short distance to Hyde police station where he calmly walked up to the counter clerk and said: “I’m wanted by the police and I’ve just done two coppers.”

Cregan put his arms out to be handcuffed and said he was there to hand himself in.

He then told an officer: “I dropped the gun at the scene and I’ve murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yous.”

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On May 25 last year a balaclava-clad Cregan stepped into the Cotton Tree pub in Droylsden and shot Mark Short who died in the arms of his father David.

On August 10, Cregan targeted David Short outside his home in Clayton, Greater Manchester as he unloaded furniture from his car.

He chased him through and out of his house and shot him numerous times before a grenade was thrown at him with “devastating consequences” for his torso - the first time a military grenade had been deployed in the country in this way.

Cregan was on trial with nine other men who faced allegations concerning the deaths of either David or Mark Short.

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The first lot of verdicts were delivered in silence in the packed courtroom save for some stiffled gasps as not guilty verdicts were returned on some counts.

Fiona Bone’s sister, Vicky Bone shook her head and her father Paul Bone leaned back in his seat.

David Short’s wife Michelle Kelly also shook her head, sat beside her other members of her family wiped away tears.

Verdicts were also returned on the nine other defendants.

Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Ryan Hadfield, 29, from Droylsden, and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, were cleared of the murder of Mark Short in the Cotton Tree pub and the attempted murders of three others in the pub.

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Luke Livesey, 28, from Hattersley, and Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop, were found guilty of those charges

Anthony Wilkinson, 34, from Beswick, pleaded guilty during the trial to murdering David Short and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was cleared of one count of the attempted murder of Mrs Hark on the same day and cleared of causing an explosion with a hand grenade.

Francis Dixon, 38, from Stalybridge, was acquitted of the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Mrs Hark and causing an explosion with a hand grenade.

Jermaine Ward, 24, was found guilty of the murder of David Short but cleared of the attempted murder of Mrs Hark and causing an explosion with a hand grenade.

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Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, was found guilty of assisting an offender.

The Crown had alleged that last summer’s violence was sparked by a “long-standing feud” between two rival Manchester families - the Shorts and the Atkinsons.

The Cotton Tree shooting was said to have been ordered by Atkinson and carried out by Cregan with the help of others.

Proceedings were adjourned until 2.15pm by Mr Justice Holroyde when he will hear mitigation.

Sentencing may follow today.

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Cregan smiled and shook hands with the other defendants after the verdicts. His co-accused Wilkinson looked directly at the public gallery where the victims’ families were seated, with a broad smile on his face.

At 1.10pm, on the 77th day of the trial, and on the sixth day of deliberations, the jury came back into court with unanimous verdicts on all counts, but the defendants were ordered to remain seated as the verdicts were given.

Atkinson, the man accused of organising the initial murder, looked at the floor and put a hand on his head as he was cleared of all charges.

Dixon shouted “Yes!” as he was cleared. Ward, sitting behind him, burst into tears.

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As Cregan was cleared of the remaining count he faced, there was a shout of “Yeah!” from the back of the dock and Cregan turned around with a smile.

Trial judge Mr Justice Holroyde QC told the jury that matters may be concluded today, with the convicted defendants sentenced, later this afternoon, subject to legal discussions.

Roderick Carus QC, defending Atkinson, asked for his client to be discharged, along with those of the other defendants cleared of all charges - Hadfield, James, and Dixon.

Dixon is on a life licence for his past serious convictions, which the jury was not told about as they were ruled inadmissible.

Cregan shook hands with Wilkinson and Ali as they were taken down past him in the dock.

Some of the senior police detectives looked grim-faced as they left court.