Manchester Police Deaths: Cregan Remanded

A man accused of killing two policewomen has appeared in a Manchester court charged with four murders.

Dale Cregan was remanded in custody until September 24.

The 29-year-old was charged with the murders of PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and PC Fiona Bone, 32, at a house on the Hattersley estate in Tameside, Greater Manchester, on Tuesday.

The two officers were responding to a report of a burglary in the area.

Meanwhile, police have released 28-year-old Stephen Garvey, who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Mr Garvey was released on Friday evening without charge.

Earlier, Cregan sat down as he was brought into the dock at Manchester City Magistrates' Court, but got to his feet after he was asked to stand by District Judge Jonathan Taaffe.

He wore a false black onyx eye in his left eye socket and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth to the courtroom, which was packed with reporters.

The court also saw Cregan charged with killing David Short, 46, and his 23-year-old son Mark, who died in separate attacks earlier this year.

He arrived at the court amid a major security operation, with officers surrounding the court building and an armed unit accompanying the convoy of six vehicles that transported him from jail.

As the van carrying Cregan entered the court's underground car park, four armed police officers emerged from a 4x4 to guard the gates.

After his brief court appearance, the same armed convoy sped away, taking the alleged police killer back to Manchester's Strangeways prison.

It comes as it emerged armed officers raided a home near the scene of the shooting, as part of a search for wanted murder suspect Cregan, just weeks before.

A search took place on the morning of August 16 at a different address on the estate, the Press Association said.

The Press Association reported no arrest was made in relation to the August 16 search. No one from Greater Manchester Police was available for comment.

Following the deaths the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, said the house in Abbey Gardens where the officers were called to was not known to them.

"It has not featured in this particularly huge inquiry we have undertaken so it would be routine to have unarmed officers sent to the scene."

The investigation into the murders of David and Mark Short involved officers on armed patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the Clayton and Droylsden areas, he added.

But he explained that "clearly we cannot send armed officers to the hundreds of incidents we get not only in these areas but also in other areas".

He said: "These were two officers going about their normal duties. Like all officers, they went to a variety of incidents not knowing what it was that they would face."

Sir Peter has praised the constables as "two wonderful human beings, two very dedicated officers".

Mark Short died from a gunshot wound to the neck after a gunman opened fire in a pub in Droylsden, Tameside, on May 25.

The body of his father was found at a house in Clayton, Manchester, on August 10, following reports of gunshots and a grenade explosion.

Cregan is also charged with the attempted murders of Michael Belcher, Ryan Pridding and John Short on May 25 and Sharon Hark on August 10.

Related stories September 20: Cregan Facebook Page: Man Arrested