Dale Cregan

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Dale Cregan
Born 6 June 1983
Tameside, Greater Manchester, England
Criminal penalty
 Life sentence with a whole life order
Criminal status
 Imprisoned
Conviction(s) Murder

Dale Christopher Cregan (born 6 June 1983)[1] is a convicted British drug-dealer and murderer who is sentenced to a whole life order in prison for four counts of homicide involving the use of firearms—including killing two police officers—and three separate counts of attempted murder.

Background

Cregan was born at Tameside General Hospital in Greater Manchester and grew up in a two-up two-down terraced house in Droylsden.[1] He has an older brother, a younger sister and a son.[1] Cregan attended Littlemoss High School in Droylsden[1] and soon after became a cannabis dealer. He became a cocaine dealer in his early twenties. He claimed to have lost his left eye during a fight in Thailand. However Greater Manchester Police believe his eye was forcefully and intentionally removed by fellow gangsters.[1]

Murders and subsequent convictions

On 25 May 2012, Cregan shot dead Mark Short, 23, in the Cotton Tree pub in Droylsden. In the same incident, he tried to kill three other men. On 10 August, he killed Mark's father David Short, 46, at David's house in Clayton by shooting him and throwing a hand grenade at him.

On 18 September 2012, Cregan made a hoax emergency call to the police. Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, constables serving with Greater Manchester Police, were mobilised to Cregan's call in Hattersley. When they arrived, Cregan shot them and threw an M75 hand grenade at them. Both officers were hit by at least eight bullets as Cregan fired 32 shots in 31 seconds. He later handed himself in at a police station, admitting to killing Hughes and Bone.[2]

During his trial, which began on 4 February 2013, Cregan was detained at Manchester Prison. The trial was held at Preston Crown Court, where scaffolding was erected to accommodate armed officers. Police snipers watched over the building from nearby offices. The daily convoy, carrying Cregan between Manchester and Preston, included two prison vans, police cars, motorcycle outriders and a helicopter. In total, 120 Lancashire Constabulary officers were deployed daily. The total cost of the trial was in excess of £5 million.[3]

Cregan was convicted of all four murders and of three attempted murders in the Mark Short incident. Cregan was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order on 13 June 2013.[4]

In August 2013 it was reported that Cregan was on hunger strike at Full Sutton.[5] He was moved to Ashworth Hospital in September 2013.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cop killer
  2. ↑ Father of murdered WPc says Cregan should hang
  3. ↑ "Dale Cregan’s Lancashire trial cost £5m". Lancashire Evening Post. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Police killer Cregan jailed for life". BBC News. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013. 
  5. ↑ "Police killer Cregan in 'hunger strike' protest". BBC News. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Police killer Dale Cregan moved to secure Ashworth Hospital". BBC News. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013. 
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