Cregan shot PCs, then threw grenade, court hears
Dale Cregan lured two unarmed police officers to him as he lay in wait before shooting them repeatedly, then threw a grenade at his victims, a court heard today.
Cregan, 29, is accused of the murders of David Short, 46, and his son, Mark, 23, in the months before allegedly killing PCs Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, in a gun and grenade attack on 18 September 2012.
Nicholas Clarke QC, for the prosecution, told the jury that after killing the father and son, Cregan was still on the loose, despite the hunt to track him down.
“On 18 September 2012 he called in a spurious burglary at Abbey Gardens in Hattersley, luring two unarmed police officers to investigate,” Mr Clarke said.
“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.
“As he left the scene, he again threw a grenade towards the victims.”
‘Died in his father’s arms’
Nicholas Clarke QC, for the prosecution, described how Mark Short was shot in the Cotton Tree public house in Droylsden, east Manchester, on 25 May 2012, while enjoying a night out with family and friends.
John Collins, Michael Belcher and Ryan Pridding – members of, or friends with, the extended Short family – also received gunshot wounds during the attack.
Mr Clarke stated that at the time of Mark Short’s shooting, David Short, the head of the Short family, was using the toilet – “Otherwise he himself would have been a target. His son died in his arms.”
David Short subsequently made daily visits to the cemetery where his son was buried. “This was not a secret in the community,” said Mr Clarke.
But on the morning of 10 august David Short, unusually, did not go to the cemetery. “He had some errands to do, and so murderers went to his house and killed him there. He was chased through the home and shot many times.”
He added: “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.
“Its 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.”