One-eyed serial killer Dale Cregan was told he will die in prison as he was jailed for life without parole today, after the trial sparked by his four-month crime spree ended.
Cregan,
30, was given a whole life sentence at Preston Crown Court in
Lancashire by Mr Justice Holroyde QC - at the end of a trial which laid
bare the sheer brutality of Manchester's underworld.
He
was already on the run for the murders of David Short, 46, and son
Mark, 23, when he killed policewomen Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone,
32, in a horrifying gun and grenade attack.
Sentencing Cregan - described by Greater Manchester Police as a 'scourge on our society' - Mr Justice Holroyde said he had 'acted with pre-meditated savagery' in the 'quite appalling' murders.
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Dangerous: Dale Cregan, surrounded by armed police, sketched as he appeared in court, will spend the rest of his life in prison
'You, Cregan, drew those two officers into a calculated trap for the sole purpose of murdering them in cold blood,' he said.
He
had lured the officers to a house by calling 999 to report a fake
burglary, before shooting them 32 times on the doorstep and then
throwing a grenade at them, which he bragged was his 'calling-card'.
Brutal: The trial of murderer Dale Cregan has ended, with the one-eyed killer set to spend the rest of his life in jail
It can be reported for the first
time that during his 17-week trial a stash of explosives thought to
belong him was found hidden in a storm drain.
Today after six days considering their
verdicts, the jury of six men and five women at Preston Crown Court
agreed he was not responsible for the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on August
10 last year.
The jury also reached verdicts on nine other men who were allegedly linked to Cregan's crime spree.
The
court heard how 29-year-old Cregan had 'fantasised' about murder and
had a 'fetish' for knives, had first shot dead Mark Short as he played
pool at a 60th birthday in a Manchester pub last May.
Three months later he then killed Mark's father David Short, shooting him and again throwing explosives because he threatened Cregan's young son.
After going on the run for five weeks and facing a £50,000 reward for his arrest, he enjoyed his 'last night of freedom' with 'beer and cigars' before murdering PCs Bone and Hughes and then handed himself in to police.
For the past 17-weeks he has been
taken to Preston Crown Court led by a convoy of armed police and a
helicopter tracking them for his trial, in a security operation costing
£5million.
Much loved and missed: Cregan lured PC Nicola Hughes (left) and PC Fiona
Bone (right) to a quiet cul-de-sac after claiming there was a burglary,
before gunning them down
Attack: Cregan emptied the magazine of this
Glock handgun and then dumped it by the bodies of the officers he had
just fatally injured
Extraordinary: Greater Manchester Police
discovered this stash of grenades inside a storm drain during Dale
Cregan's 17-week trial
CREGAN'S TRIAL ALSO INVOLVED NINE OTHERS ACCUSED OF CRIMES
Verdicts were also returned on the nine other defendants as well as Dale Cregan today.
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.
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.
Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, was found guilty of assisting an offender.
Speaking about his crimes, Greater
Manchester Police's Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: 'All four of
these murders were planned assassinations, meticulously calculated by
their perpetrators, who went to exceptional efforts to try and avoid
detection by the police.
'Our
sympathies and support remain with the families and colleagues of Fiona
and Nicola, and the Short family, who are unlikely to ever fully
recover from the devastation of knowing their loved ones were killed in
such horrific circumstances.
'After
our two officers, Nicola and Fiona, were murdered in cold blood whilst
on duty, I personally reflected for a long time afterwards as to whether
anything more could have been done to prevent their deaths, but quickly
came to realise that in a society where we police by consent, you
cannot police such evil.
'The
British public prize the fact that their police force is routinely
unarmed and saw this attack as an attack on all of us. I cannot thank
the public enough for the support they have, and still continue, to show
us.'
Michael Lavery,
representing Cregan, said he could not make 'sensible' submissions,
given the 'exceptionally grave offences' his client had committed and
admitted.
He made no submissions in mitigation.
The court heard Cregan had been convicted of 17 previous offences.
He received a six-month detention and
training order in May 2000 for an offence of wounding, which related to
a glass being used as a weapon in a pub.
Among his other convictions was one
of affray when he received a suspended jail term after a number of males
approached their victim and kicked and punched him to the floor.
Prosecutor
Nicholas Clarke QC told the judge that victim impact statements had
been given by Michelle Kelly, the partner of David Short and mother of
Mark Short, the parents of Nicola Hughes, the parents of Fiona Bone and
the sister and partner of Fiona Bone.
Statements
were also provided from the divisional commander of Tameside Police and
from Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, on
the impact on police officers and the public.
None of the statements was read out in court.
Victims: Cregan first murdered Mark Short at a
birthday party in May and then killed his father David Short (left)
three months later
First crime scene: The first victim, Mark Short, was killed at the Cotton Tree Inn pub in Droylsden at just before midnight
Nazir
Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: 'The murders of
all four victims, Mark Short, David Short and police constables Fiona
Bone and Nicola Hughes, were nothing short of executions - planned,
premeditated and cold-blooded. The blatant use of firearms and grenades
put members of the public at risk of significant harm and caused fear
amongst local communities.
'This
has been a hugely challenging case both in its scale and complexity.
Through painstaking analysis of a huge amount of evidence the CPS,
prosecuting counsel and police have left no stone unturned to piece
together the events and to prove who was responsible. The timescale
within which a case of this size, involving so many defendants and so
many murders, was brought to trial was exceptional and that was down to
the dedication and commitment of everyone in the investigation and
prosecution teams.
'I
would like to take this opportunity to thank all the witnesses from the
local area who spoke to police, gave a statement or had the courage to
give evidence at court. Their support and assistance has been vital to
securing these convictions.
'Above all our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of the victims at this extremely difficult time.'
First crime: CCTV footage shows a car pull up at
the Cotton Tree Inn Droylsden and a man get out where Dale Cregan
murdered Mark Short last May
Evidence: Police later found a bag of what appears to be blood-stained clothes stuffed inside a bin-liner
At the start
of the court case in February Cregan had 'bizarrely' pleaded not guilty
to killing David and Mark Short despite apparently confessing to the
attacks numerous times.
But last month he changed his plea at the last minute after the prosecution had delivered their closing speech to the jury.
He
also admitted the attempted murder of three others in the attacks, and
today was found not guilty of the attempted murder of another victim.
Cregan's spree of murder and violent crime shocked Britain, and for five weeks he was on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
Getaway: This white Vauxhall Combo van was found dumped after the killing of Mark's father David Short three months later
Damage: The vans was completely pocked with holes, likely to be shot from a shotgun used in the attack
His
murderous rampage began on May 25 last year when Mark Short was gunned
down to order in the Cotton Tree Inn, in Droylsden, around four miles
east of Manchester city centre.
The feud stemmed from a vicious fight for control of
low-level organised crime and centred around the
control of the ‘doors’ in pubs and clubs, protection rackets and the
trade in cannabis.
The
drunken slapping of the matriarch of one family by an associate of their
rivals proved to be the tipping point , and the dispute spilled over
into bloodshed.
It is understood Cregan had intended to ‘kneecap’ Mark Short as he played pool but Short bent down and was blasted in the neck.
Mark's
father, David Short, had then vowed to take revenge and threatened to
murder relatives of his son’s killer in retaliation.
Cregan then murdered him on August 10 in front of his house armed with a semi-automatic pistol and grenades.
This then sparked a five-week manhunt, where Cregan was reportedly seen as far south as the Kent coast.
The
one-eyed man had also allegedly checked into a celebrity-loved luxury
spa resort while police hunted for him - the plush Plas Coch resort on
the
island of Anglesey, north Wales.
Police got a tip off he might be there but after staking it out for several days they failed to spot him.
A
week later a holidaymaker then told a hotel worker they were sure he
had been there, as she had seen him splashing around happily in the
luxury heated swimming pool.
Having
avoided detection he returned to Manchester and plotted to kill the
police. Cregan had celebrated the plan the night before with 'beer and
cigars' since he 'knew it was his last night of freedom,' the court
heard.
On September 18 he telephoned 999, claiming there had been a burglary in a Manchester quiet cul-de-sac.
Poignant: The coffin of Fiona Bone, with her
hat, gloves and a medal on top, is carried into Manchester Cathedral
after processing along the city's Deansgate on Thursday, October last
year
Comrades: Thousands of officers marched behind the PC Bone's coffin and also lined the streets as they paid their respects
Family: PC Nicola Hughes's parents Sue (in pink)
and Bryn (far right) and PC Fiona Bone's mother June (far left) and
Paul (centre) arrive at Preston Crown Court together for the trial
CREGAN'S 17-WEEK TRIAL REQUIRED £5MILLION OF SECURITY
Killer Dale Cregan was subjected to
twice-daily checks behind his false eye as part of the intensive
security operation surrounding his trial.
Nothing was left to chance for the ring of steel thrown around Preston Crown Court which cost more than £5 million to mount.
All
Category A inmates transported to court need to undergo a strip search
and in Cregan's case that included his left eye socket - a
time-consuming extra check which is said to have annoyed the killer.
A
source at HMP Manchester, better known as Strangeways, said: 'Every
time he comes in and every time he goes out of the building he must be
searched and checked - including behind his eye.
'Because
he is a category A prisoner, each time he leaves these walls he is
strip searched and he must take his eye out so we can look behind it for
drugs or some sort of weapon or anything he shouldn't have.
'And
every time he comes back from court he gets strip searched again and he
has to take his eye out again - and it p***** him off."
Cregan is thought to have lost his eye in a fight with police in Thailand which involved a knuckle-duster.
It
is understood Cregan has been segregated from other prisoners for the
last six months and is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day.
He
is watched closely when his cell door is unlocked for his hour in the
exercise yard, after he made threats to harm a prison officer.
Around
150 officers, several armed, swamped Preston Crown Court on each day of
the trial which started in February as they monitored the complex and
surrounding streets.
Two
snipers were positioned on the facing roof of a solicitor's building,
while a portable cabin was erected at the entrance to assist in the
searching of all visitors.
Two paramedics were also on standby at court each day in case emergency medical assistance was needed.
Greater Manchester Police's armed units were responsible for the manpower in escorting the convoy of vans containing Cregan.
Using
the name Adam Gartree, he said a man had thrown a concrete slab through
the window of a house and run off across a nearby field in Mottram,
Greater Manchester.
When the call handler told him someone would be round, Cregan replied chillingly: ‘I’ll be waiting.’
The
two PCs were sent to investigate and drove the short distance from
their police station before getting out to walk up the drive.
But, as they approached, the front door opened and they were confronted by him and he immediately shot them both.
Protected
by their body armour, both officers escaped injury and desperately
tried to get away or take cover. PC Hughes ran back towards their van
while PC Bone moved to her left to get out of the gunman’s sights.
But
they were mown down in a hail of 32 bullets. Just 31 seconds after
arriving, both lay dead or fatally hurt. The court was told Cregan
emptied the magazine of his Glock pistol and only stopped firing when he
ran out of bullets.
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.
Then, as the officers lay on the ground, he tossed a fragmentation grenade at them before jumping into a car and driving off.
The same day he handed himself in at Hyde police station and he was asked if he had any weapons on him.
Cregan
replied: ‘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
(sic).’ Later he said: ‘Sorry about those two that have been killed. I
wish it was men.’
Despite this admission, and confiding in others he had murdered them, he later denied it, only to change his pleas in February.
Cregan stood impassively in the dock as the clerk asked how he now
pleaded to the charge of murdering PC Bone on September 18 last year.
‘Guilty,’
he said in a broad Mancunian accent. He was then asked for his plea on
the charge of murdering PC Hughes. ‘Guilty,’ he said again.
The
deaths sparked an outpouring of emotion, which led to thousands lining
the streets in their memory at a series of vigils and their funerals.
Fellow
officers openly sobbed and held one another as they laid flowers where
they died, and Prime Minister David Cameron described the attack as 'a
shocking reminder of the debt we owe to those who put themselves in
danger to keep us safe and secure'.
Villain: After a night of booze and cigars
before killing the police officers, Dale Cregan, is show here handing
himself in at Hyde police station that day
Heroes: The lives of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone and were taken when they attended a 'routine call'
Relatives of both officers, including their parents, had earlier been in court to see the court case open.
They
had watched in tears as CCTV footage was played of the officers
climbing into their police van before setting off to investigate reports
of a burglary, before they were murdered in a 31 second hail of gunfire.
Pc Bone's mother and father, June, 67, and Paul, 64, from the Isle of
Man, and sister Vicky, 36, from Leeds, sat in the public gallery as the
jury was brought into court for legal formalities before the jurors
retired again minutes later on Wednesday.
He will be sentenced later.
Others: Anthony Wilkinson, 34, (left) from
Beswick, pleaded guilty during the trial to murdering David Short and
possessing a firearm. Mohammed Ali, 32, (right) from Chadderton, was
found guilty of assisting an offender
Crimes: Damian Gorman, 38, (left) and Luke
Livesey, 28, (right) were found guilty of the murder of Mark Short in
the Cotton Tree pub and the attempted murders of three others that night
Damage caused by Cregan's murderous grenade attack on house pictured
for the first time as police reveal haul of explosives found in storm
drain
These new pictures show the incredible damage caused by the arsenal of weapons Dale Cregan used to murder four people.
Walls were left pitted by grenade shrapnel and windows smashed by the bullets he sprayed at his victims.
It can also be reported for the first
time that during his 17-week trial a stash of explosives thought to
belong him was found hidden in a storm drain.
Stash: This is the drain in Onchan Avenue, Oldham where a bag of explosives was hidden by Dale Cregan
The hand-grenades, his 'calling card', were the same thrown in the gruesome murders of Pcs
Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone and father and son David and Mark Short.
Officers found the bag containing 10
M75 grenades originating from the former Yugoslavia was discovered in
Oldham, Greater Manchester, on June 3.
An explosive ordnance device team recovered the haul from Onchan Avenue in Glodwick.
The artillery was said to have been used mainly by Serbian forces in the Yugoslav civil war in the early 1990s.
M75 grenades were also reported to have been used in several attacks by an underworld crime gang in Merseyside.
Property: Windows were smashed and the wall
scorched at this house in Droylsden, Manchester, caused by a Grenade
thrown by Dale Cregan
The gang led by Kirk Bradley and Anthony Downes carried out a series of assaults to order in 2009 and 2010.
One grenade was launched into the home of a man when he was asleep upstairs with his partner and two children.
The target later told police the explosive 'blew the place to bits', although remarkably no-one was injured.
Another grenade was left on the wall
of former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish which was believed to be
intended for a wealthy businessman neighbour.
The grenade attacks stopped following
the capture of Bradley and Downes who were later jailed for 22 years
each - but not before breaking out of a prison van on the way to court
and going on the run to Holland.
Police chiefs in Greater Manchester said they believed they had now recovered all the grenades from Cregan's batch.
Images: Police took pictures of these walls
where Cregan's grenades pitted them with shrapnel and smashed nearby
window throwing glass everywhere
Detective Chief Superintendent Darren
Shenton, head of Greater Manchester Police's Serious Crime Division,
said: 'The use of grenades in the horrific, brutal and callous murders
shocked everyone.
'These are military-grade weapons
which have rarely, if ever, been seen on the streets of Manchester and
sadly the stigma of their devastating impact will loom over this city
for some time.
'As part of our operation to bring to
justice all those involved in the murders themselves, we dedicated
officers to finding these abhorrent weapons and ensuring no-one else
would fall victim to a grenade attack.
'We now believe that we have recovered
all the grenades from this particular batch and I have no doubt that in
taking these lethal weapons off the streets we have saved lives and
made Manchester a safer place.
'It would be impossible to say with
100% certainty that there are no grenades left in Manchester and we will
never rest while there is even a slim chance that such weapons do still
exist.
'I would however like to take this
chance to appeal to anyone in Manchester who knows the whereabouts of
any weapons - whether it be grenades, guns, whatever - to come forward
and tell us where they are.
'You can speak to us anonymously if you need to by calling Crimestoppers.
'If you tell us where weapons are,
then you will be helping to save lives and avoid the atrocities that
have devastated so many families.'
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