Dale Cregan’s fingerprints were found on the two vehicles used in the murder of David Short, Preston Crown Court heard today.
Experts discovered the one-eyed defendant’s prints on a Vauxhall Combo van – intentionally grenade-blasted after the killing – and a silver Ford Fiesta, the alleged getaway vehicle.
Co-accused Anthony Wilkinson’s fingerprints were also detected on both vehicles.
Mr Short was killed on August 10 last year in a gun and grenade attack at his home on Folkestone Road East, Clayton.
After the slaying, the killers allegedly travelled two miles in the Combo to the home of Sharon Hark on Luke Road, Droylsden.
The co-defendants are accused of grenade-attacking Ms Hark’s home, before detonating another grenade in the Combo to destroy evidence and fleeing in the nearby Fiesta.
Cregan’s prints, recorded in 2002, were discovered on a damaged toolbox found in the Combo’s rear and a Glock handgun item in the abandoned Fiesta.
Wilkinson’s marks were found on the same toolbox, as well as on a Buxton water bottle discovered in the Fiesta.
Cregan, 29, of no fixed address and Wilkinson, 38, from Manchester, are two of four charged with Mr Short’s murder, the attempted murder of Ms Hark and a single charge of causing an explosion.
Francis Dixon, 37, from Stalybridge, and Jermaine Ward, 24 are also accused, with all four denying guilt.
Wilkinson is additionally charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, while Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, is accused of assisting an offender.
Jurors also today heard a 999 call made by a resident of Oldham Street, Droylsden, where the alleged getaway Fiesta was parked just seconds away from Luke Road.
The woman told the handler she heard two ‘massive bangs’ – the second of which came as she wandered outside her house to investigate.
She witnessed three men, described as white and in their mid-to-late 20s, running away from the direction of the explosion before speeding away in a car.
One of the men carried a gun, with another putting an object resembling an ‘air pistol’ in his pocket, she said.
The woman, in her emergency call, reported the car’s registration.
Prosecutors allege the three men were Cregan, Wilkinson and Ward, who had fled across nearby Lees Park after attacking Ms Hark’s home.
Crime scene images were also shown to jurors, including a series of photos taken inside the Combo van, which the grenade failed to fully destroy.
A bloodied t-shirt, Nike hooded top, patterned quilts, pillows, water bottles, sunglasses and a high-visibility jacket were snapped, along with the damaged toolbox.
Nine 9mm bullets were also recovered in the passenger footwell of the van, which was on a lease from Salford Van Hire.
On Luke Road, police found a grenade pin and a fly-off grenade handle, with a 9mm Luger bullet and casing found on Lees Park.
Two witnesses – forensic scientist and explosive expert Kevin Sanders, and ballistics expert Andre Botha – gave evidence regarding both crime scenes.
Mr Sanders told court that grenades used in both attacks differed, with plastic fragments found at the Short murder scene and metal fragments found at Ms Hark’s residence.
However, the grenade used in the blown-up Combo, abandoned on Luke Road, was also plastic.
Mr Botha demonstrated the inner workings of the Glock semi-automatic pistol; one of two weapons prosecutors claim were used in Mr Short’s murder.
Jurors were shown a safety-adapted Glock, modified to ensure it could not fire, and encouraged to handle and trigger it by Mr Justice Timothy Holroyde.
This was because, Judge Holroyde claimed, the ease of weapon fire may become an issue later in the trial.
Mr Botha demonstrated the Glock to have three safety mechanisms and, with only 5lb and 6lb of trigger pressure causing discharge, accidental fire was claimed to be highly improbable.
However, Mr Botha stressed, less pressure would be required to shoot after the first shot.
The Glock is the same weapon used by Cregan in his murder of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes in Mottram last September, which Mr Botha himself examined.
The weapons expert, under cross-examination from Wilkinson’s defence barrister Peter Birkett QC, told court the Glock fired four shots, but investigators recovered only three cartridges.
He also established the Glock, under testing, was in a fully-functional condition, with evidence showing shots were fired in the living room, kitchen, conservatory and side passage.
Mr Short’s body was found in this side passage.
Mr Botha also revealed he found no evidence of gunfire at Ms Hark’s Luke Road address.
David Short was murdered just months after his son Mark was shot dead in a Droylsden pub.
Cregan, Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, are charged with Mark Short’s murder.
All six co-accused are pleading not guilty to that charge, as well as the attempted murder of John Collins, Ryan Pridding and Michael Belcher.
Cregan has already pleaded guilty to the murders of PCs Bone, 32 and Hughes, 23, on September 18.
Prosecutors claim Cregan was already on the run from police in connection with the murders when he lured the policewomen to their deaths.
The trial continues.
The trial
Dale Cregan, 29, of no fixed abode, is being tried on two counts of murder. One is of the murder of Mark Short, 23, at The Cotton Tree Pub on May 26 last year. The second is his father David Short, 46, at his Folkestone Road East home on August 10.
He also faces four counts of attempted murder and causing an explosion by using a hand-grenade.
Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Damian Gorman, 37, from Glossop,
Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, are also charged with murdering Mark Short, and three counts of attempted murder of John Collins, Ryan Pridding and Michael Belcher, who were also in The Cotton Tree at the time. All deny the charges.
Francis Dixon, 37, from Stalybridge, Jermaine Ward, 24, and Anthony Wilkinson, 33, from Beswick, are also charged of murdering David Short. They are also charged with Cregan with one count of attempted murder of Sharon Hark in Droylsden later on the same day. All deny the charges
They are also accused of causing an explosion with a hand-grenade. All deny the charge.
Mohammed Ali, 23, is charged with assisting an offender. He denies the charge.
Cregan has already pleaded guilty to the murder of police officers PC Nicola Hughes, 23, from Saddleworth, and PC Fiona Bone, 32, from Sale, in Hattersley on September 18 last year.
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