Manchester police killer Dale Cregan 'booked into Bowness hotel' while wanted over another murder, court told (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Manchester police killer Dale Cregan 'booked into Bowness hotel' while wanted over another murder, court told

3:50pm Monday 18th March 2013 in News By Steven Bell, Senior Reporter

MANCHESTER police killer Dale Cregan booked into a Bowness hotel a month before the murders and when officers were preparing to arrest him over the death of another man, a court heard.

Cregan, 29, has admitted shooting dead PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, in the Mottram area of the city last September.

But he denies a further two charges of murdering Mark Short, 23, and his father, David, 46.

Details about Cregan’s apparent visit to the Lake District emerged in evidence at Preston Crown Court from Det Con Stuart Kay about the mobile telephones allegedly used before and after the murder of David Short.

Jurors were told that two mobile phones attributed to Dale Cregan were plotted in Bowness on the morning of August 7 - three days before the murder.

That morning, police made efforts to arrest a number of people in connection with the murder of Mr Short's son Mark, who had been shot dead in a pub in Droylsden ten weeks earlier.

The day before, the prosecution says, Cregan booked into a hotel in Bowness with his partner, his son and his mother.

Nicholas Clarke QC, prosecuting, said police had made attempts to make a series of arrests in connection with the Mark Short murder on August 7 and planned to arrest Dale Cregan and three other defendants in the trial.

He told the jury that two suspects were arrested but that Dale Cregan could not be found as he was in the Lake District.

Phones attributed to Dale Cregan were then said to have moved from the Windermere area to near Kendal before being plotted moving south to Manchester.

Mr Clarke said as the police operation to arrest the suspects in the Mark Short murder began, Cregan, although in the Lake District, was 'fully aware' of the arrests in Manchester and that the police were looking for him.

Cregan, and nine other co-accused, deny charges of murder and attempted murder.

The trial continues.