Inquest to open into police ‘shooting victim’

Anthony Grainger, from Bolton, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest after the car he was in was stopped in the village of Culcheth, Cheshire, in a “pre-planned operation”, police said.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Specialist Operations branch performed first aid after the shooting, which took place in Jackson Avenue, but the 35-year-old had already died.

The inquest will be formally opened this afternoon at Warrington Coroner’s Court.

The opreation, understood to be part of a GMP-led investigation into a planned robbery in the area, came just weeks after an attempted robbery at a Co-op store in nearby Common Lane.

Three men, David Totton, 33, from Manchester, Robert Rimmer, 26, of New Moston, Manchester, and Joseph Travers, 27, who has no fixed address, were all charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

They are expected to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court today.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission are investigating the shooting. A spokesman for the Commission said: “The independent investigation will consider the actions of all the officers at the scene, as well as the planning, decision making and implementation of the operation which led to the death.”

Trial collapsed

Mr Grainger was a defendant in a multi-million pound drugs trial in Manchester in 2010.

That trial collapsed after a juror, Joanne Frail, used Facebook to contact another defendant, Jamie Sewart, who had already been acquitted.

At a retrial, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on Grainger, who was accused of conspiracy to supply drugs. He was jailed for 20 months after admitting handling stolen cars.

After the shooting, a car was removed from the car park.

Greater Manchester’s deputy chief constable Ian Hopkins said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family during what will clearly be a very difficult and emotional time, and specially trained family liason officers have been in contact with the family.

“I want to assure them that ourselves, Cheshire Police and the Independent Police Complaints Commission will carry out a thorough investigation which will establish the facts.”