Cregan knew he faced a shitstorm for taking out his son. Detective inspector Roger Smethurst, from the Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: This was an extremely sophisticated drugs gang that effectively distributed mass quantities of cocaine across the north-west. Then, check out the story of the, The Story Of Dale Cregan, The Deranged One-Eyed Killer. The victim tells police: "They took me to an address with an empty room and a chair in it. "There's lots of kidnappings and it has got worse - the violence has escalated," she says. Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox. Today, the jury at Preston Crown Court heard evidence that Atkinson's father, Francis, had his left kneecap "blown across" a pub called The Victoria in September 2003. But his phone records show he was several miles away when Luke died. Callum Halpin is still on the run. The convicted drug dealer, jailed in 2016 after police found heroin and cocaine stuffed between his buttocks during a police raid, was a one-time associate of cop killer Dale Cregan. Is climate change killing Australian wine? He was known for only having one eye, although the circumstances surrounding his injury remain unclear. The source said houses are already being watched, and added: David Short was a popular and respected man. Some of the individuals sentenced here are some of the higher-level organised criminals that operate in Greater Manchester, and again demonstrate the unprecedented damage we as law enforcement are being able to inflict on multi-million-pound gangs as a result of EncroChat. Leon Atkinson sent this smiling photo to Jason Cox of a Salford crime family which. The 41-year-old was captured when detectives accessed messages on the EncroChat . This wont be let go. CCTV footage of the raid on Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. But Wade Cox in particular wasn't a complicated or intelligent character. The vehicle used by the killers - a stolen Audi A4 - was found burnt out in a nearby street and rumours that the execution was carried out by local gang leader Wade Cox soon reached the ears of the MIT unit investigating the crime. The baby-faced ASBO yobs who became big-time drug dealers but are now marked men for life, Moment Salford crime family rob notorious Liverpool gang in 1m cocaine raid, Hacienda 40th anniversary rave tickets to go on sale - and how to watch 8 hour live stream, Ant McPartlin leaves Britain's Got Talent set as act's future on ITV show hangs in balance, Olga promised the judges that her pooches had some extra talents after failing to impress them, The cowboy builder added to the UK's 'most wanted' list, Steven Fidler is wanted by several police forces across the UK, Pregnant GMP officer who begged to keep her job dismissed after 'terrible lapse in judgement', PC Jarmila Kocanova said she 'genuinely regrets' her actions, Britain's Got Talent audience member reveals secret behind singing cat as viewers think they've rumbled their identity, 'We sacrificed our twenties and worked seven days a week to build our dream home from scratch', Katie, 31, and her husband Michael took on a Grand Designs-style project to construct their own five-bed house in Lancashire, The much-loved seaside resort facing summer without its most famous attraction, Regular visitors included Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Molly-Mae Hague sparks divide posing with 4k luggage as fans spot subtle nod to baby Bambi, The new mum enjoyed a last-minute shopping spree at the airport before returning to the UK, Lebara, Smarty and GiffGaff's best SIM deals for mobile data roaming on Summer holidays in 2023, The best-value plans to consider when using your phone abroad - including deals from Lebara, Smarty and GiffGaff, Rylan Clark says 'and so it begins' after 50 proposition to fans goes unanswered, It comes after his planned journey to Liverpool for the Eurovision Song Contest didn't go as planned, BBC Antiques Roadshow praised for 'beautiful' tribute to star after her death, Earlier this month, it was confirmed that expert Judith Miller had died at the age of 71, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag makes Casemiro admission. One woman interviewed, who names Cox as the killer, is heard refusing to give a statement for fear of reprisals. An underworld pal of David said: I remember I was 18 in a club called Cherries in Droylsden and there was a man called Danny Mason head doorman at the time. Something went wrong, please try again later. TWO little girls, one dressed in a princess dress, flee in terror as three men in balaclavas run out of a house and shots ring out across a residential street. "We just said there was no use in fighting," he said. Wade Cox was convicted of murder and given a 36 year sentence. Four of the five men captured during raids were given sentences totalling almost 40 years on Monday and Tuesday. But the image of him relaxing in the sunshine was key evidence in his downfall as a big time drugs dealer. He was arrested in June when he landed back in the United Kingdom but was released on bail. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He had also developed an unhealthy obsession with knives. Manchester City currently find themselves one point clear of Arsenal in the Premier League table, with Pep Guardiola's side also having a game in hand on the Gunners. Chillingly, Cox has a tattoo tribute to Cregan and his accomplice Anthony Wilkinson, which features a grenade and the words friends have the same enemies.. Meanwhile, inside the address where the first victim is suspected to have been tortured, a paint removing gun, hot plates and tape with blood and hair are recovered. Read about our approach to external linking. Liverpool man Richard Caswell conspired with the Cox crime family to steal 30kg of cocaine from a house on Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. May bank holiday Monday opening times for Aldi, ASDA, Tesco, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, Supermarket opening and closing hours for early sping bank holiday Monday, May 1, Man City's next six Premier League fixtures compared with Arsenal ahead of West Ham clash. The deal with Atkinson was done near Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. It came amid a background of "history" between the Short and Atkinson families which began two years earlier, the court was told. Dale Cregan was a notorious one-eyed killer, whose involvement in a decades-long feud with the Short family led to the death of two policewomen in Greater Manchester, England in 2012. "These people are either very dangerous or very reckless.". What Manchester United need to secure top four Premier League finish & Champions League football, Erik ten Hag saw his side beat Aston Villa on Sunday to cement their place in the top four, LIVE from picket lines as nurses stage 28-hour strike with NHS braced for 'significant disruption' - updates, NHS England asked those who need non-urgent care to go to pharmacies or dial 111 as first port of call with staffing levels expected to be 'exceptionally low', 'I don't regret being an older mum - it meant I got to party in my 20s', Samantha Heathcock says she has no regrets about having children later in life, What Jadon Sancho told Bruno Fernandes to stop doing and more Man United moments missed vs Villa. Well over 200 people have been detained by GMP since the launch of Operation Venetic by the National Crime Agency in July 2020. Get your need-to-know At Manchester Crown Court Atkinson of Brindley Close, Atherton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. Leon Atkinson, 35, was accused of plotting revenge on the Short family after a man slapped his mother Theresa during a boozy pub row. "We shook hands and agreed to speak on the phone if we had any problems.". We cannot reveal their names for legal reasons but they are being backed by heavies in Liverpool and a gangland figure in Nottingham, said to owe David a favour after he spared him in a bare- knuckle fight. Sign up to the Daily Star's newsletter. Charlie Atkinson, who drove Cox's phone away and provided him with an alibi, was given eight years for assisting an indictable offence. Thanks to that picture of him drinking beer in his garden, five other people in the 9 million operation were identified in a three month surveillance sting. He confessed to both the murders of Hughes and Bone, and was later charged with the murders of Mark and David Short, and attempted murders of the three other men at the Cotton Tree pub on the day of Mark Shorts murder. When Luke and Anton returned, the men ran out of the house, and began shooting into the open van door at point blank range. Inside the property, the victim's child is heard to say: "Did Daddy die? Something went wrong, please try again later. Immediately following the murders, Dale Cregan went to the police and turned himself in. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Birch Street, in Ashton-Under-Lyne, where the murder took place in broad daylight, Luke Graham was shot dead on June 13 2018, Police arrive on the scene after the shooting, DS Julie Connor says gang violence has got worse since the 90s, Wade Cox was suspected of being in same gang as Dale Cregan, Cregan killed a father and son before murdering the two female officers, Cregan's victims Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes were lured with a 999 call, Wade Cox was arrested and questioned for the murder, Jordan 'Charlie' Atkinson was jailed for eight years, Connor Cornforth took phones away to help with alibis, Jack West was found guilty of assisting an offender, Manchester cops reveal brutal kidnapping in BBC2's The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime, The Detectives: Inside brutal Manchester turf war with dad shot 5 times on a quiet street as kids of 4 played nearby, Striking train drivers earning 60,000 accused of 'cultural vandalism' by 'targeting' Eurovision and FA Cup, One man dead and seven men and women injured as knifeman goes on bloody rampage near nightclub in Bodmin, Girl, 4, 'assaulted by drunk man' in Tesco as cops appeal to find hero who stepped in to help, Explosion rocks London street as flat above chicken shop blows up in suspected gas blast leaving three injured, Keir Starmer faces awkward questions in Commons over secret talks to poach Sue Gray, WHSmith shoppers stunned at eye-watering 15 price tag for a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs - three weeks after Easter, ISIS terror leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi killed by Turkish 'intelligence operation' in Syria, Erdogan says, Over 99% of thefts do not end in a charge - even when victims track stolen phone, shocking stats reveal, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Police said: We recovered an image of Atkinson drinking beer in his garden during the Covid lockdown. Inside the 'mini Dutch pancake house' hidden on a quaint Greater Manchester Square, Papa Dutch started life as a family lockdown project before gaining a loyal following for its authentic mini Dutch pancakes, 'He hasn't got away with it like he thought he probably had' remorseless paedophile's past comes back to haunt him, Paul Betts has been sentenced to five years in prison, Police release CCTV images of man they want to speak to after young girl sexually assaulted, Officers were called to reports of a girl being sexually assaulted near Lees Valley yesterday (April 29), A child-killer, a Strangeways protester and an armed robbery gang: locked up in April. My brothers had fights with his cousins or nephews. "You seem to know more than me," said Atkinson. Historic goal masks hidden Erling Haaland improvement for Man City. Liverpool man's role in 1m cocaine heist shocks the underworld, Woman shot in house as gunman escapes on motorbike, Man arrested on suspicion of kidnapping missing woman, Live updates as police cordon off road in Rice Lane, Officers have blocked off a large section of the street, Thomas Cashman's final desperate message to try and intimidate 'accomplice' Paul Russell, Russell said in interview that Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer had a 'reputation' and 'people were scared of him', Couple 'sacrificed' 20s to get their dream home, Katie and Michael have owned four houses in the space of seven years, Coronation Street fans swoon as Ellie Leach shows off new look, The Faye Windass actress looked a million miles from her cobbles character, 'It's my Goldfish's birthday' - Scousers react to 'archaic' coronation pledge, The homage of peers has been replaced by a Homage of the People. Atkinson added: "My dad is not a criminal or a gangster. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. She says that when Bostock was brought into police custody, he had been threatening each member of staff who dealt with him. The Crown had alleged Atkinson had recruited Cregan to commit the murder of Mark Short after his mother had been slapped 12 days earlier by a member of the Short family. Leon Atkinson, 35, was accused of plotting revenge on the Short family after a man slapped his mother Theresa during a boozy pub row. 'It was crazy': Residents wake to 'almighty bang' and sirens following 'serious' crash on main road, One person was taken to hospital following the five-vehicle crash on Sunday morning (April 30), "My house looked like it had been burgled after my marriage broke down - now I help other hoarders clear out their clutter", Janine McDonald's house became cluttered after she lost her job and her marriage broke down, forcing her to live on just 800 a month. Atkinson denied his father was in a wheelchair for "a long time" and said he was unaware that he had needed a replacement knee. It was found by police on Jason Cox's phone as they investigated the drug-dealing activities of the Salford-based Cox family. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Almost 800 people were arrested across the UK after French officials hacked the Encrochat platform enabling police to read text messages. It is clear no criminal is untouchable, and no unscrupulous individual is safe from detection. He idolised Cregan, who lured police officers Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone to his home in 2012, before murdering them with a grenade and guns. Det Chief Supt Jon Chadwick, head of the forces Serious and Organised Crime Group, said mobs across the country are the biggest threat to the UKs security. The picture was taken on April 8th 2020 and sent to Jason Cox. "A very good friend of Dale Cregan?" "Mainly organised criminals largely target people of a similar stature - they are not going after members of the public. You want to persuade people to do the right thing but you've got to be sure for themselves that they will be safe. After months on the run, Cregan lured Pc Nicola Hughes, 23, and Pc Fiona Bone, 32, with a bogus burglary report before he opened fire on the unarmed and unsuspecting officers, then using his "calling card" by throwing a hand grenade at the stricken victims. "We are seeing an increase in violence, people being shot in the legs, stabbed, their faces cut. asked Mr Clarke. Charlie Atkinson, who drove Coxs phone away and provided him with an alibi, was given eight years for assisting an indictable offence. Prosecutor Alex Langhorn told the court how the gang who stole the cocaine quickly began selling off the cocaine haul to other criminals in Manchester after the raid. More footage, in a local gym, showed one suspected accomplice, Callum Halpin, retrieving a phone from pal Conor Cornforth. The township of Urmston, which bears the family's name is located west of Manchester in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, Hundreds arrested as crime chat network cracked, Police appeal follows girl being sexually assaulted in Lees, Delight for Warrington residents with lottery cash win, McDonalds slashes menu prices by nearly 50 per cent, but youll need to be quick, Child killer Thomas Cashman's chilling desperate threats to love rival to hide his secret, Bury Pride 2023 photos show town celebrating "all forms of love", Bury schoolgirls run London Mini Marathon in memory of dad, Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan. Theres a blood feud waiting to happen.. Atkinson and three others were found not guilty of the murder of Mark Short. A man can be seen leaving the house, with his cap only partially pulled over his face. Leon Atkinson sent the image of himself to an encrypted group chat with fellow criminals using names like Carrothorn, Maidenbear, Mistersmallhead, Festiveape and Shaggyfarmer. When they arrived, Cregan shot up their bodies using the same Glock pistol he used to murder David Short, and then proceeded to throw grenades at their remains. With gangs its so important to get all of them, says DS Connor. ", Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? Minutes later three men in balaclavas burst into the same house and threatened the occupant - a drug addict known as Peanut - telling him they would shoot his kneecaps unless he called Anton and lure him back to the house. Wade Cox was convicted of murder and given a 36 year sentence. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Atkinson then sent a 'mate' to meet Nevin near Manchester City's training ground in East Manchester. Caswell will be sentenced with Jason Cox, Craig Cox, Lee Cox next month. After the handover Atkinson was back in touch and said he wanted to buy another seven kgs of drugs. How is your father?". Something went wrong, please try again later. ", "He said it was mistaken identity," said the defendant. The jury heard that David Short thought Cregan was responsible for a "very serious attack" on him when he was run off his bike and had his throat cut. "2018 was a very hot summer. In September 2012, Dale Cregan made a fake call to the police, reporting that someone had thrown a concrete brick at his property. Nine ovarian cancer warning signs women should never ignore, Ovarian cancer is often called a 'silent killer', Water Street businesses on Hooters as owner says 'we're not going anywhere', "If I put it on Mathew Street or Concert Square, it would have got eaten up by the misconceptions of what people think Hooters is", Richard Madeley asks GMB fans' advice as Judy sleeps in spare room, The Good Morning Britain presenter has been married to Judy Finnigan for 35 years, Cosy country pub in 'destination' village Scousers travel miles to visit, The pub has been run by the same family since the 1990s, Martin Tyler branded 'crime against football' after Liverpool vs Tottenham commentary, Liverpool were involved in a seven-goal thriller at Anfield with Tottenham Hotspur, Jurgen Klopp begs Liverpool fans to stop chant until after matches are won, Jurgen Klopp isn't a fan of his own song and wants Liverpool fans not to sing it until after the match, 'Biggest mistake in my life' - Son Heung-min turned down Jurgen Klopp transfer but Liverpool had last laugh, Son Heung-min boasts an impressive scoring record against Liverpool and turned down the opportunity to sign for Jurgen Klopp earlier in his career, Linda Pizzuti issues defiant response to Liverpool fan following FSG accusation, Liverpool continued their charge up the Premier League on Sunday afternoon after overcoming Tottenham Hotspur, 'Hysterical, confusing and more than slightly absurd' - National media react to Liverpool's win over Tottenham, A look at how the national media saw Liverpool's 4-3 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, Luis Diaz's adorable moment with daughter after scoring first Liverpool goal since injury return, Liverpool forward Luis Diaz was greeted by his daughter in adorable moment after scoring first goal since injury return, The 'rare' beach with pirate coves where parking isn't an issue, Perfect for family days out and dog walker approved, Liverpool were involved in a thrilling seven-goal thriller at Anfield with Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool news and transfers LIVE - Manuel Ugarte swoop, Jurrien Timber links, Tottenham reaction, Liverpool transfer news, rumours, gossip and speculation including the latest developments on Manuel Ugarte, Jurrien Timber and the reaction to the win over Tottenham Hotspur, Everton news and transfers LIVE - Amadou Onana links, Alex Scott fight, Leicester build-up, Everton transfer news, rumours, gossip and speculation including the latest on Amadou Onana, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the build-up to the match with Leicester City, I tried Albert's Schloss 9.50 full English breakfast and I was full for hours - review, Albert's Schloss' full English might just be my new favourite, M6, M53 and M56 motorway closures starting May 1, Two motorways will be closed on bank holiday Monday, 'That is an area' - Sean Dyche tells Everton players how to unleash Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Blues boss is pleased with the areas Calvert-Lewin is getting into but is aware the striker needs better service to thrive, 'That's the cold fact of the case' - As investigation into grooming dragged on monster was free to kidnap child, Lewis Jones left a family in devastation and a community in disbelief, Huge penthouse overlooking Liver Birds on the market.