At a pub in Greater Manchester, the matriarch of the Atkinson family, Theresa Atkinson, was celebrating a Greater Manchester win, when she hit Raymond Young, a member of the Short . Historic goal masks hidden Erling Haaland improvement for Man City. Its a lot harder to catch people at the top. Manchester United took a big step towards securing Champions League football for next season after notching a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday. "It's just absolutely awful that there were children playing in the street while this happened. A wanted notice is circulated for Paris Bostock, who is the step-son of Darren Berkeley - a well known drug dealer from the south Manchester division. The judge, Mrs Justice Cuts, said the choice to commit the crime in daylight, in a residential area, added to the horrific nature of the murder. A month later, a 999 call is made to GMP by a local resident who has reported seeing a man being 'trailed' out of a property on Maine Road in Moss Side. Dale Cregan in court, surrounded by police officers. "It is rare, but that's why I think that his sentence was so high., The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime airs on BBC2 at 9pm tonight, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He has refused to cooperate with the investigation. Following a short pursuit, officers intercepted the car, who found no money and one man - Paris Bostock. The chilling murder of dad-of-two Luke Graham features in tonights episode of BBC2s The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime, and highlights the brutal and brazen violence plaguing the streets of the city. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. They use people with physical, mental disabilities, children, women who are desperate for money, drug users. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Atkinson was identified as the ringleader when he sent the photograph, taken in his garden during England's first coronavirus lockdown in 2020, to a leading member of another drugs gang. They take over their houses. They thought they were undetectable by the police. After a ten week court case at Manchester Crown Court, in 2019, Jack West, Connor Cornforth and Ben Dodd were convicted of assisting an offender and sentenced to between 2.5 and 3.5 years. Also involved in the dealing was Romiz Ahmad, 39, of Rossall Road, Rochdale, who was convicted of money laundering vast sums of cash on behalf of the gang. The killer of an eight-year-old girl, a Strangeways protester and an armed robbery gang are among the serious criminals who were locked up in Greater Manchester in April. Leon Atkinson, 35, was accused of plotting revenge on the Short family after a man slapped his mother Theresa during a boozy pub row. Manchester United took a big step towards securing Champions League football for next season after notching a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday. In the year ending September 2020, over 278,000 crimes were reported to Greater Manchester Police, the highest crime rate outside London. 'It was crazy': Residents wake to 'almighty bang' and sirens following 'serious' crash on main road, One person was taken to hospital following the five-vehicle crash on Sunday morning (April 30), "My house looked like it had been burgled after my marriage broke down - now I help other hoarders clear out their clutter", Janine McDonald's house became cluttered after she lost her job and her marriage broke down, forcing her to live on just 800 a month. Some of the individuals sentenced here are some of the higher-level organised criminals that operate in Greater Manchester, and again demonstrate the unprecedented damage we as law enforcement are being able to inflict on multi-million-pound gangs as a result of EncroChat. The convicted drug dealer, jailed in 2016 after police found heroin and cocaine stuffed between his buttocks during a police raid, was a one-time associate of cop killer Dale Cregan. The killer of an eight-year-old girl, a Strangeways protester and an armed robbery gang are among the serious criminals who were locked up in Greater Manchester in April. He told the jury that was not the case and that he was content with the man's explanation about the incident in which Atkinson conceded his mother was "drunk" and "bladdered". But dad Atkinson, who stood trial for . If someone else tries to muscle in on that, they will do everything possible to stop that. It is clear no criminal is untouchable, and no unscrupulous individual is safe from detection. Instead, Cregan killed Mark Short and injured three other men: John Collins, Michael Belcher, and Ryan Pridding, who were also in the pub at the time. Leon Atkinson and David Short shook hands at the end of the talks, Don't miss out on the big stories from Manchester's courts with our weekly newsletter. Forensic officers find what appears to be an arm restraint, and a form of blowtorch. But the image of him relaxing in the sunshine was key evidence in his downfall as a big time drugs dealer. At the handover Nevin sold six kilograms of cocaine to a criminal who used the Encro handle . Five months after the first kidnap and after several weeks on the run, Darren Berkeley handed himself into police. His father has just been kidnapped by a gang of four masked men, one armed with a gun, from their house in Heaton Moor, Stockport. He was described in court as a 'regional' cocaine supplier who sold on drugs imported into the UK by a contact. The victim and Paris Bostock are within the DNA mix. The 41-year-old was captured when detectives accessed messages on the EncroChat network used by the dealers. May bank holiday Monday opening times for Aldi, ASDA, Tesco, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, Supermarket opening and closing hours for early sping bank holiday Monday, May 1, Man City's next six Premier League fixtures compared with Arsenal ahead of West Ham clash. The prosecutor asked: "Your father, has he ever told you who he thought was responsible? Atkinson, from Ashton-under-Lyne, denies the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murder of the three others in the pub at the time, along with Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop, Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, who all deny the same charges. Nevin, 35, who worked as a courier for the Cox gang, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property. David was distraught and would have taken immediate revenge. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. He claimed to have lost it in a brawl in Thailand, although some authorities speculate that it may have really been removed with a knife under unknown circumstances. "The gangs in Manchester still have their roots from the gangs that were around in the 80s and 90s," says DS Connor. He was arrested in June when he landed back in the United Kingdom but was released on bail. DCI Alan Clitherow tells the team, based at Nexus House, the force's serious and organised crime HQ in Ashton, that four men had forced their way into the house through the back door. An additional gang member, Elliot Cummings was identified by facial recognition experts. 'It was crazy': Residents wake to 'almighty bang' and sirens following 'serious' crash on main road, One person was taken to hospital following the five-vehicle crash on Sunday morning (April 30), "My house looked like it had been burgled after my marriage broke down - now I help other hoarders clear out their clutter", Janine McDonald's house became cluttered after she lost her job and her marriage broke down, forcing her to live on just 800 a month, Coronation Concert will feature Union Jack shaped stage that will extend out to audience, Around 20,000 members of the public are expected to attend the event next Sunday (May 7). Warring members of the Short and Atkinson families held peace talks at Manchester's Arndale Centre in 2008, the trial has heard. May bank holiday Monday opening times for Aldi, ASDA, Tesco, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, Supermarket opening and closing hours for early sping bank holiday Monday, May 1, Man City's next six Premier League fixtures compared with Arsenal ahead of West Ham clash. He is suspected as being the man at the top of the gang. Read about our approach to external linking. He is arrested and taken into custody for questioning after armed police raid a house in the Fallowfield area. A violent gang who stole over 1m of cocaine from a Liverpool stash house arranged to sell on the drugs to criminals near the Manchester City training ground. READ MORE:Liverpool man's role in 1m cocaine heist shocks the underworld. "He is built like he could kill you with his bare hands," says DS Connor. Filmed in Manchester, with unprecedented access to police ops, the series followed the Major Incident Team (MIT) for two years as they tackle the growing rivalry amongst drug-dealing gangs. On a hot sunny day in June 2018, just before 5pm, drug dealer Luke Graham and his associate Anton Verigota dropped some crack and heroin at a house in Birch Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, and drove away in a silver van. The team ascertain that the victim was kidnapped and tortured for almost a day, until a ransom was paid. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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At a pub in Greater Manchester, the matriarch of the Atkinson family, Theresa Atkinson, was celebrating a Greater Manchester win, when she hit Raymond Young, a member of the Short family. The four men have pleaded guilty to drug offences and possessing criminal property. Caswell will be sentenced with Jason Cox, Craig Cox, Lee Cox next month. An underworld pal of David said: I remember I was 18 in a club called Cherries in Droylsden and there was a man called Danny Mason head doorman at the time. The source said houses are already being watched, and added: David Short was a popular and respected man. Theres a blood feud waiting to happen.. People are scared of him', Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag makes Casemiro admission. Ahmad, who denied dealing in criminal property, was jailed for six years after a jury convicted him in February. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? This must have been a terrifying event. The Short family and the Atkinson family were both known to be involved in drug and gang violence, and long-standing tension reached a boiling point in May of 2012. 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Dale Cregan was found guilty of four counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. The vehicle used by the killers - a stolen Audi A4 - was found burnt out in a nearby street and rumours that the execution was carried out by local gang leader Wade Cox soon reached the ears of the MIT unit investigating the crime. At Manchester Crown Court Atkinson of Brindley Close, Atherton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to transfer criminal property. But the ultimate goal is to get them.". Three men are seen climbing into the stolen Audi - including Wade Cox -after handing their mobile phones to other gang members who drive in the opposite direction. "He was," said Atkinson. Greater Manchester Police and the North West Regional Crime Unit later arrested the main participants in the conspiracy. The court also heard that one of Nevin's customers was annoyed about the use of the 'Man City' password because he was a Manchester United fan. "Both of them? Ive been a police officer since 1992 and Ive got to know the gangs of Manchester pretty well, she says. Three hours later, officers find the victim in the street bound and badly beaten. Atkinson told the court the peace did not last long and that he had been involved in trouble before with David Short, who he said had punched him 'for looking at me'. The 41-year-old was captured when detectives accessed messages on the EncroChat . Mr Langhorn described how Nevin arranged to sell drugs to Leon Atkinson in the Openshaw area of Manchester. Manchester Crown Court was told Michael Nevin a courier working for the Cox family arranged to sell the drugs to Atkinson who sent a "mate" to meet him near Manchester City's training ground in . A second man, named Blake Evers is also arrested at the address. A new BBC documentary lays bare how Organised Crime Group (OCGs) are terrorising the city, as GMP's Major Incident Team work to bring down the most dangerous criminals. Four men are captured on CCTV in connection with the second kidnapping, CCTV footage shows the men bashing the victim's head into the car and pistol whipping him, before he is bundled into the boot of the vehicle, Blake Evers (centre), Darren Berkeley (right) and Paris Bostock (left). This gang basically force their way into a house and force them to assist them with a murder.. The court heard that the criminals involved in the handover used the password 'Man City' for the meeting. With gangs its so important to get all of them, says DS Connor. Police suspect the victim is a wealthy drug dealer. Casemiro was back to his best for Man Utd in their win against Aston Villa in the Premier League and Erik ten Hag has given his verdict on the holding midfielder. ", "He said it was mistaken identity," said the defendant. Leon Atkinson sent the image of himself to an encrypted group chat with fellow criminals using names like Carrothorn, Maidenbear, Mistersmallhead, Festiveape and Shaggyfarmer. But he denied orchestrating the murder at the Cotton Tree pub, saying he was with his family in Prestatyn at the time. We cannot reveal their names for legal reasons but they are being backed by heavies in Liverpool and a gangland figure in Nottingham, said to owe David a favour after he spared him in a bare- knuckle fight. Upon arresting Buller, officers find a silver revolver and bullets at the property. Police believe Atkinson has been the head of a Tameside organised crime group for a decade. But Wade Cox in particular wasn't a complicated or intelligent character. The two policewomen who responded to Cregans fake call, and ended up murdered. Atkinson, 43, had moved from the Tameside area to Atherton, but, his criminal career was interrupted in July 2020 when he was in a first raft of 34 people charged locally after the encrypted phone network was infiltrated by police. "How is his knee?" They warned us they were going to kill daddy," a young child asks his mum. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "I had him a fight at that time. Atkinson replied: "My father got shot 10 years ago in the leg. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison. He was known for only having one eye, although the circumstances surrounding his injury remain unclear. They beat me for two or three minutes, stopped, threw water at me and then pointed a gun to my head. Thats two members of a prominent family taken out. Det Insp Roger Smethurst said: "This was an extremely sophisticated drugs gang that effectively distributed mass quantities of cocaine across the North West. "I had a fight with one of their nephewstwo of their nephews. Marsden was sentenced to nine years and eight months while Ghafar received a jail term of eight years and eight months. They prey on vulnerable people. Simon Atkinson is a British architect, currently the Mike Hogg Centennial Professor in Community and Regional Planning at University of Texas at Austin and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. 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They received jail terms between eight and 15 years when they were brought before a judge at Manchester Crown Court. The victim is pouring with blood and DS Connor fears he may have suffered brain damage. A father and son were seriously injured when attacked with a machete and axe during the theft. "There's been an increase in criminals robbing other criminals," says DS Connor. "Moss side, Salford, Fallowfield, Cheetham Hill. 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That led to the death of Mark Short in the Cotton Tree in Droylsden and was then followed three months later by a fatal gun and grenade assault on the victim's father, David. Atkinson then sent a 'mate' to meet Nevin near Manchester City's training ground in East Manchester. Luke, known as Tank to his friends, took five bullets but was killed instantly by the first, which zig-zagged through his chest and severed an artery. Dale Cregan was a notorious one-eyed killer, whose involvement in a decades-long feud with the Short family led to the death of two policewomen in Greater Manchester, England in 2012. Anthony Wilkinson, 33, from Beswick, Manchester, denies the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and causing an explosion. In 2013, on trial alongside Cregan, he was cleared of murdering Mark Short and attempting to murder three others in Droylsden's Cotton Tree pub. After the bloody attack, accomplices helped hide Cregan, so police were not immediately able to find and arrest him. The owner heard this and told Danny to go out. Cregan admits the murders of the officers but continues to deny the murders of the Shorts. Ahmed was also jailed for six years after being found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property and being concerned in an arrangement which facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property. "Paris Bostock, I'd know him anywhere," DS Connor says. How is your father?". Leon Atkinson and David Short shook hands at the end of the talks. 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