Dale Cregan trial: court hears terrifying final moments of murdered officers

Two police officers died in a hail of 32 bullets fired by a fugitive with "clarity of mind and chilling premeditation", a court has heard.

The final moments of PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, who were lured to their deaths by a fake crime and were unarmed but for a single Taser, were described at Preston crown court.

Fugitive Dale Cregan, 29, is alleged to have shot each of them in the chest as they walked up the garden path of a house in Mottram, Greater Manchester, that he had taken over the night before. He then fired a further 30 more bullets as they tried to take cover, the court heard.

Once they were dead he is said to have thrown a fragmentation grenade towards their bodies and then driven to Hyde police station to hand himself in. He allegedly told the counter clerk: "I'm wanted by the police and I've just done two coppers."

Relatives wept in the public gallery as the court was played footage of the two officers climbing into their van and heading away to what would be the scene of their murders.

The officers' parents listened intently in the public gallery as Nicholas Clarke QC, for the prosecution, said Cregan was already wanted in connection with two other murders by the time he ambushed Bone and Hughes.

At 10.14am on 18 September last year he allegedly called 999 to tell police someone had thrown a concrete slab through a rear window at 30 Abbey Gardens, Mottram, and run away.

He claimed he had seen the direction of the offender's flight and would be able to point it out to any officer who attended, the court heard.

As the operator assured him an officer would be dispatched, he is said to have replied: "I'll be waiting," He appeared calm, composed and in control of himself.

The manhunt launched after an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Cregan on 7 August 2012 was about to reach "its bloody conclusion", the court heard.

Clarke said the two officers set off from Hyde police station in a marked VW transporter van. Hughes was at the wheel. Aside from Bone's Taser, they were unarmed.

Cregan, holding the Glock firearm he had allegedly used to kill David Short, 46, and Short's son, Mark, 23, nearly four months earlier, had a clear view of the officers entering the cul-de-sac at 10.52am, the court heard.

"Cregan's carefully laid plan had been successful. He had lured two unarmed officers to his door and he was armed, ready and waiting for them.

"As Nicola and Fiona walked through the small front garden, he opened the front door and immediately fired his Glock.

"Both officers were shot to the chest. The body armour they were wearing protected them and the bullets did not penetrate," Clarke said. The officers made a tactical retreat, Bone moving to the right – out of the line of fire – and her colleague turning to run up the path, Clarke said.

"As she retreated, more shots were fired. PC Hughes was shot just below her armoured vest, in the middle of her back, and was immediately paralysed, causing her to fall forwards on to the path. As she was falling or lying flat on her stomach, she was shot three more times."

He went on: "Cregan then turned his attention to PC Bone. She was trapped in front of the lounge and he discharged 24 shots at her. Some struck the officer, others the house. She managed to draw and fire her Taser, but it was discharged into a hard surface, probably the paving. Such was the speed of the attack upon the two officers that only a matter of 31 seconds had elapsed between Nicola Hughes switching off the engine of their vehicle and Fiona Bone firing the Taser."

"Most of the bullets struck her body armour or the wall at the front of the house, but she was the central target. Fiona was shot between five and eight times, receiving a total of eight gunshot-related injuries … She was killed by a perforating shot to the upper side of her chest."

Cregan was not finished, Clarke said. He allegedly turned back to Hughes who lay paralysed on the floor and shot her six more times, in the back and the side of her head. Four of the shots caused potentially fatal wounds.

In total Cregan is said to have fired 32 bullets, emptying the extended magazine of 9mm cartridges.

Finally, just before speeding away from the cul-de-sac in a BMW, Cregan launched a fragmentation grenade towards the garden where the officers were lying, the court heard. The grenade – "his usual calling card" – caused further injuries to PC Hughes but did not contribute to her death.

Clarke said that en route to Hyde police station Cregan did what he had done after each of his murders – he rang his girlfriend. He was still on the phone when he drew up.

He was calm and casual when an officer arrested him, allegedly saying: "I dropped the gun at the scene and I've murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yours."

The jury was also shown images of Cregan arriving at the police station wearing a pale top, blue shorts and trainers. He still had his mobile to his ear as he was being handcuffed.

Earlier, the court heard how Cregan had called at the house he used for the ambush the evening before. The householder, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had cut the fugitive's hair in the past.

He knew Cregan was wanted by police and was terrified for the safety of his partner and her seven-year-old daughter.

Cregan placed his hand grenade on the fireplace within minutes of his arrival, the court heard. He allegedly demanded that the householder contact a mutual friend, Steven Garvey, and bring him to the house, and at one point Cregan sent him out for beer, cigarettes and cigars.

The next morning Cregan is said to have ordered the householder to cut his hair as he had done once before. The householder also trimmed his beard. Cregan then took a bath and changed into fresh clothes before making the 999 call, the court heard.

Cregan denies murdering both the police officers and David and Mark Short. Five other men deny the murder of Mark Short and three further defendants deny the murder of David Short.

The trial continues.