Wife of Manchester car theft murder victim Michael Samwell 'screamed for help'

The wife of an ex-Royal Navy officer screamed his name as he lay dying in the street after being run over by car thieves, a neighbour has said.

Michael Samwell, 35, died after confronting intruders who broke into his home as he slept upstairs with his wife Jessica around 3am on Sunday.

He was found seriously injured in a car park behind his house in Chorlton, Manchester, and died around an hour later in hospital.

Mr Samwell was believed to have been run over at least once as he tried to stop the intruders from making off with his car.

Greater Manchester Police are appealing for further information as it is believed a number of suspects are still to be questioned.

A 21-year-old man arrested on Monday in connection with the murder has been released on bail.

Mr Samwell's neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "I heard his wife screaming. She was screaming for help and his name.

"I think one of the neighbours was an off-duty policewoman so she took charge of the situation and I didn't really see him, he was groaning, his wife was obviously distraught.

"I heard it all unfold and saw him taken away in the ambulance... I knew it was serious."

He added that the area has "a very high burglary rate".

Mr Samwell's car was found badly damaged and abandoned three miles away from his home.

Greater Manchester Police said they were specifically interested in speaking to anyone who saw a blue, five-door BMW 1 Series car in Chorlton on the night of the theft.

Investigators believe offenders may have used the BMW to flee the scene - and the public is being urged to send any CCTV or dashcam footage of a vehicle which matches this description.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick added: "You may not think what you know is important, but it could be vital to our investigation."

According to LinkedIn, Mr Samwell trained as a naval officer at Britannia Royal Naval College in Devon and spent around a decade in the senior service before leaving in 2014.

The page says the University of Leeds graduate worked in several roles, including on board a nuclear attack submarine as a weapons officer.

Since leaving the Royal Navy, he had worked as a programme manager for engineering company Atkins in Warrington, Cheshire.

An Atkins spokesman said: "This is a tragic event and our thoughts go out to Mike's family, friends and colleagues. We will support the family in any way we can."