Dale Cregan 'Put Grenade In Man's Mouth'

Dale Cregan - who has admitted murdering two female police officers - put a hand grenade in the mouth of a man he held captive while on the run from police, a court heard.

Jermaine Ward, 24, claims Cregan and another man, Anthony Wilkinson, 33, also threatened to shoot him and his family while keeping him as a virtual "slave" for two weeks while they hid from police, Preston Crown Court was told.

Cregan, 29, was on the run after allegedly murdering Mark Short, 23, on May 25 last year and his father David Short, 46, 10 weeks later, during a deadly feud between families in east Manchester.

It is claimed Ward played an "integral part" in the attack on Mr Short (David) but he maintains he only acted as a getaway driver under duress. He denies murder, one count of attempted murder and causing an explosion.

After a nationwide manhunt following the deaths, Cregan lured PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 23, to a bogus burglary report at a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, last September 18.

When they arrived, he opened fire without warning on the unarmed officers with a Glock semi-automatic gun - he then threw a grenade at the dying policewomen before handing himself in.

The jury were read parts of Ward's statement to police and shown video recordings of him being questioned in detail by officers.

Ward claimed on the day of Mr Short's (David) murder, he drove Cregan and Wilkinson to his home address in Clayton, Manchester.

It is alleged Cregan and Wilkinson chased Mr Short through his house, shooting him repeatedly before tossing a hand grenade on to his dying body.

Ward claimed the pair told him to wait in the van with the engine running before they returned to the vehicle.

Ward told officers in interview: "I heard a bang, Dale has got blood on him. I knew something had happened, he's like, 'Drive! Drive!'

"I was shaking. He rammed a gun at the side of my head. He told me which way to drive."

Ward said an Asian male, who the prosecution say is co-defendant Mohammed Ali, then took them from Greater Manchester to West Yorkshire to hide and kept them supplied with food while in the apartment.

Ward told police he had his phone taken away and was kept as a "slave" in an apartment for nearly two weeks with Cregan and Wilkinson.

Louise Brandon, prosecuting, told the jury: "They put a gun to his head and told him he was staying with them. If he tried to escape they would go to the hospital and kill his brother.

"Every time he asked them if he could go, they said they would kill him or put a gun to his head or put a grenade in his mouth.

"Once they put a grenade in his mouth."

After 10 to 12 days they took him out of the flat and he was kicked out of the van, after which he made his way to a police station in Huddersfield to give himself up.

Cregan and Wilkinson along, with Francis Dixon, 37, from Stalybridge, all deny the murder of David Short, the attempted murder of Sharon Hark on the same day, and a single charge of causing an explosion.

Wilkinson is additionally charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender.

Cregan, Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, Damian Gorman, 38, from Glossop, Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, are all accused of the murder of Mark Short at the Cotton Tree Pub, Droylsden, on May 26 last year, and the attempted murders of three others also in the pub at the time - John Collins, Ryan Pridding and Michael Belcher.

They deny all charges.

Cregan has admitted the murders of PC Bone and PC Hughes and faces life in jail.