Dale Cregan ‘shot 32 bullets in 31 seconds’

Warning: some people may find the events described below upsetting

Cregan, 29, is accused of murdering PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes after “carefully laying a detailed plan to murder”.

Preston crown court heard that Cregan went on the run after organising the killings following a “simmering feud” which saw him kill his rivals, father and son David and Mark Short.

The families of both PCs sat in the public gallery of a packed courtroom weeping as they heard evidence from Cregan in the dock.

Bloody conclusion

The court was told that Cregan’s killing of the Shorts prompted a “lengthly manhunt” last August, which reached its bloody conclusion in the deaths of two young police officers.

The jurors were told that on September 18, Cregan made a 999 call purporting to be “Adam Gartree” and reported that somebody had thrown a “big concrete slab” through his back window.

“The caller was not Adam Gartree but Dale Cregan. Cregan knew that the officers would have no idea what would be waiting for them.”

PCs Bone and Hughes arrived at the property at 10.52 am.

Cregan’s carefully laid plan had been successful. He had in fact lured two unarmed police officers to his door. He was armed, ready and waiting for them,” Mr Clarke said.

As the two PCs walked through the small front garden, Cregan opened the front door and immediately fired his Glock, the court heard.

Both officers were shot in the chest. The body armour that they were wearing protected them and the bullets did not penetrate.

After the first shots the officers made a “tactical retreat”, the court was told.

‘Immediately paralysed’

PC Hughes ran down the path but Cregan continued pulling the trigger, hitting her in the middle of her back just below her armoured vest, the court heard.

She was “immediately paralysed”, falling forwards on to the path.

“As she was falling or lying flat on her stomach, she was shot three more times,” Mr Clarke continued. “Cregan then turned his attention to Fiona Bone.”

She was trapped in front of the lounge window and Cregan fired 24 shots at her. She managed to draw and fire her Taser, but it probably hit paving stones, the jury was told.

…Sorry about those two that have been killed, I wish it was men… Dale Cregan

She was hit between five and eight times. As she turned and fell one bullet managed to get through under her arm.

“She was killed by a perforating shot to the upper left side of her chest, which caused fatal injuries to the top of her heart,” Mr Clarke said.

Fatal wounds

Such was the speed of the attack on the two officers that only 31 seconds elapsed between PC Hughes switching off the police car engine and PC Bone firing the Taser.

“Cregan was not finished. He turned his attention back to PC Hughes and fired three more shots into the back and side of her head,” Mr Clarke continued.

“She was shot eight times, causing a total of seven gunshot-related injuries. Four of the shots caused potentially fatal wounds.

One had severed her spinal cord, causing instant paralysis and a potentially fatal wound to her abdominal aorta. The three final shots fired into the head severely damaged her brain. Cregan had discharged a total of 32 bullets at the two unarmed police officers, the court heard.

Cregan then dropped the gun and jumped into a blue BMW, the prosecutor said. Before driving off, he launched a fragmentation grenade back towards the garden of house, where the two police officers were lying on the floor.

This exploded causing further injuries to Nicola Hughes, who was nearest to the grenade. She had already been fatally injured by the gunshot wounds inflicted upon her. The grenade itself did not cause or contribute to her death.

‘Calm’ confession

Cregan drove to Hyde police station, 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 was calm and casual as he was handcuffed and arrested,” Mr Clarke said.

As graphic details of the attack and the injuries suffered by the officers were given, members of their families sat in the public gallery began to weep.

Cregan 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.”

He later added he was “..Sorry about those two that have been killed, I wish it was men…”

In custody Cregan later gave a series of “no comment” interviews when questioned by police, the jury heard.

Near the end of his final interview, the detective suggested to him that he was a coward – having killed two unarmed officers, he fled before armed back-up arrived and instead “threw himself on the mercy of the police” – to which Cregan replied: “Cos you couldn’t f****** find me could yous so.”