Jury sworn in for PCs murder trial

A jury has been selected and charges formally laid at the trial of a man accused of the murder of two police officers and two other killings.

Dale Cregan stood in the dock with nine other defendants as the six women and six men chosen for the jury were sworn.

The burly 29 year old, dressed in dark grey polo shirt and with a black onyx in place of his missing left eye, 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 last September.

Cregan’s co–accused are variously charged with helping or taking part in one of the four murders or attempted murders, firearms offences or assisting an offender.

About 150 police officers, some armed with machine guns, are on security duty for the trial.

The judge, Mr Justice Holroyde QC, told the jury the trial is expected to last at least 10 weeks and will begin tomorrow. The jury was excused until then, while some of the 23 barristers involved the case continued to arrange final legal matters.

Mohammed Ali (32), from Chadderton, is accused of assisting an offender.