Cregan ‘put grenade in a man’s mouth’

Dale Cregan

Dale Cregan put a hand grenade in the mouth of a man he held captive while on the run from police in Manchester, a court has heard.

Jermaine Ward (24) claims Cregan and another man, Anthony Wilkinson (33), also threatened to shoot him and his family while keeping him as a virtual “slave” for two weeks while they hid from police, Preston Crown Court heard.

Cregan (29) was on the run after allegedly murdering father and son Mark and David Short during a deadly feud between families in east Manchester.

After a nationwide manhunt he lured Pc Fiona Bone (32) and Pc Nicola Hughes (23) to a bogus burglary report at a house in Hattersley, last September 18. When they arrived he opened fire without warning on the unarmed officers with a Glock semi–automatic gun before throwing a grenade at the dying policewomen. He then handed himself in to police.

Cregan had been a wanted man after Mark Short (23) was gunned down in the Cotton Tree Pub, Droylsden, on May 25, last year.

Attack

It is claimed Jermaine Ward played an “integral part” in the later attack on David Short (46) at his home in Clayton, 10 weeks after his son was murdered.

The jury were read parts of Ward’s statement to police and shown video recordings of him being questioned by officers.

Ward claimed on the day of David Short’s murder he had agreed to drive a Vauxhall Combo van for Cregan and he drove him and Wilkinson to Mr Short’s home address.

Ward claimed the pair told him to wait in the van with the engine running before they returned to the vehicle. He told officers: “I was shaking. He rammed a gun at the side of my head. He told me which way to drive.”

Ward said an Asian male, who the prosecution say is co–defendant Mohammed Ali, then took them from Greater Manchester to West Yorkshire to hide and kept them supplied with food while in the apartment.

Ward maintains he only acted as a getaway driver on the murder of David Short under duress. He denies murder, one count of attempted murder and causing an explosion.

Cregan and Wilkinson along with Francis Dixon (37), from Stalybridge, all deny the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day, and a single charge of causing an explosion.

Proceeding

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