Man who stabbed late mother's partner to death jailed for life

A man who stabbed his late mother's partner to death before breaking into his ex-partner's home has been jailed for life.

Andrew Hall, of Crown Road, Heywood, was found guilty of murdering Geoffrey Ives, 75, after a trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, which ended on Monday.

Police were called to reports regarding the concern for the welfare of a man on Hardfield Street in Heywood, on the evening of Sunday, January 29 last year.

When officers arrived, they found Mr Ives had died.

It was later discovered that his cause of death was four stab wounds to his neck.

In a tribute, his family said: "He has been there and supported us throughout our whole lives, always putting us first.

"He was a stubborn man, but there wasn't a bad bone in his body. Everyone that knew him loved him.

"He was the best dad, grandad, uncle and friend to us all."

Geoffrey Ives (Image: Greater Manchester Police)

With detectives working around the clock to piece together the evidence, CCTV was pulled together on the night of Mr Ives' murder.

The work was done to catch his final movements as well as Hall’s, where he walked along Market Place before entering a pub, as well as on Church Street across Heywood Civic Centre car park, and then heading onto Hornby Street towards the junction of Hardfield Street.

He was seen lingering at the door of Mr Ives' before being greeted and entering. He later left alone a short while later.

Footage then showed him walk away but turn back seconds later and go back in, showing only one person this time and the door remaining open.

Hall then left again, walking back the way he came initially with a distinctive dark mark on the clothing of his left knee that was key in identifying his movements before and after.

As the evening went on a taxi was taken by Hall to an off-licence in Middleton where further CCTV captured a conversation where he was told he had blood on the side of his face, brushing it off.

Police later arrested Hall in the early hours after reports of an aggravated burglary nearby in Middleton where he breached an harassment and restraining order.

This was after another harrowing ordeal where he broke the window of his ex-partner's property, gaining entry where six children had to flee for safety upstairs, barricading themselves in a bedroom before officers arrived.

The bravery shown by one of their older brothers prevented further harm as he managed to subdue Hall, who had two knives, with a set of step ladders.

One of those blades had Mr Ives' blood on from earlier in the night.

While under caution he disclosed key information that would later link him to the murder.

He also made several comments that the blood on him was not his and he "wanted to settle scores".

Key statements included “I’m going to jail for life” and “I’ve done bad things”.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the 59-year-old was sentenced to 28 years for murder and six years for aggravated burglary.

Andrew Hall (Image: Greater Manchester Police)

Greater Manchester Police senior investigating officer and temporary detective superintendent David Moores said: “I’m pleased for Geoffrey’s loved ones we have now managed to bring them some closure and justice to this ordeal and our condolences as a force remain with them as they still come to terms with their loss.

“We’ll never really know what motivated Hall to attack Geoffrey on that night in question, but after discovering a murder scene, Hall’s blazingly disregard, and lack of care meant he kept reoffending in the local area causing a direct threat to the public.

“Thanks to a swift response to those incidents from our local officers we were able to detain him and after securing evidence from body-worn video which raised suspicions as well as painstakingly tracking his movements on CCTV, we were able to prove that he was responsible for this horrific act where he took the life a much-loved family figure.”