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| Dale Cregan trial: mother weeps as she tells court of seeing her son shot dead | Dale Cregan trial: mother weeps as she tells court of seeing her son shot dead |
| (4 months later) | |
| A mother wept today as she relived the moment her son was shot dead in front of her by a balaclava-clad gunman. | A mother wept today as she relived the moment her son was shot dead in front of her by a balaclava-clad gunman. |
| Michelle Kelly, 45, had been drinking with relatives when the killer burst in to the Cotton Tree pub in Droylsden, Manchester, and opened fire. Her son, Mark Short, 23, suffered fatal gunshot wounds and died shortly after in the arms of his father, David. He, too, was murdered 10 weeks later. | Michelle Kelly, 45, had been drinking with relatives when the killer burst in to the Cotton Tree pub in Droylsden, Manchester, and opened fire. Her son, Mark Short, 23, suffered fatal gunshot wounds and died shortly after in the arms of his father, David. He, too, was murdered 10 weeks later. |
| Kelly was giving evidence in the trial of Dale Cregan, 29, who is accused of both the two Short murders and those of police constables Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23. | Kelly was giving evidence in the trial of Dale Cregan, 29, who is accused of both the two Short murders and those of police constables Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23. |
| The two officers, unarmed but for a Taser, died in a hail of bullets after being lured to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester. | The two officers, unarmed but for a Taser, died in a hail of bullets after being lured to a house in Hattersley, Greater Manchester. |
| "I was sat at the end of the bar and Mark was playing pool," Kelly told a murder trial at Preston crown court. "He had his back to me. Suddenly I heard a bang, then another one. Then it was bang, bang, bang. | "I was sat at the end of the bar and Mark was playing pool," Kelly told a murder trial at Preston crown court. "He had his back to me. Suddenly I heard a bang, then another one. Then it was bang, bang, bang. |
| "Mark was at the far side of the pool table. I saw the gunman aim and shoot at him just before he left. Mark tried to grab him. I grabbed a pool cue and ran out to try to catch whoever I could find. As I came round the corner, I could see a blue car driving off." | "Mark was at the far side of the pool table. I saw the gunman aim and shoot at him just before he left. Mark tried to grab him. I grabbed a pool cue and ran out to try to catch whoever I could find. As I came round the corner, I could see a blue car driving off." |
| Kelly returned to the pub a few moments later to see her partner cradling their son in his arms. | Kelly returned to the pub a few moments later to see her partner cradling their son in his arms. |
| David Short, 46, is thought to have survived the attack on 25 May last year because he was in the toilet at the time the lone gunman walked in. He was eventually shot dead on 10 August after two gunmen chased him around his home. One of his killers then threw a hand grenade at his body. | David Short, 46, is thought to have survived the attack on 25 May last year because he was in the toilet at the time the lone gunman walked in. He was eventually shot dead on 10 August after two gunmen chased him around his home. One of his killers then threw a hand grenade at his body. |
| A similar weapon was thrown at the bodies of the two murdered police officers on 18 September. | A similar weapon was thrown at the bodies of the two murdered police officers on 18 September. |
| Cregan, from Manchester, is alleged to have shot them at the end of a four-month flight from police investigating the earlier murders. | Cregan, from Manchester, is alleged to have shot them at the end of a four-month flight from police investigating the earlier murders. |
| The prosecution say he was recruited to murder Mark Short after Theresa Atkinson, the matriarch of a rival family, was insulted and slapped in the Cotton Tree on 13 May. | The prosecution say he was recruited to murder Mark Short after Theresa Atkinson, the matriarch of a rival family, was insulted and slapped in the Cotton Tree on 13 May. |
| Many of those in the pub had been celebrating Manchester City winning the Premiership title. She was drunk and had been arguing with various members of the Short party. | Many of those in the pub had been celebrating Manchester City winning the Premiership title. She was drunk and had been arguing with various members of the Short party. |
| At one point she lunged at Raymond Young, a member of the Short family, with an empty bottle of WKD. He responded by giving her "a bit of a back-hander". | At one point she lunged at Raymond Young, a member of the Short family, with an empty bottle of WKD. He responded by giving her "a bit of a back-hander". |
| Atkinson, 53, began shouting: "I'm going to get my boys. You're all dead." | Atkinson, 53, began shouting: "I'm going to get my boys. You're all dead." |
| Cregan is in the dock with nine other defendants. 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, deny murdering Mark Short and attempting to murder three other men in the Cotton Tree. | Cregan is in the dock with nine other defendants. 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, deny murdering Mark Short and attempting to murder three other men in the Cotton Tree. |
| Francis Dixon, 37, from Stockport, Anthony Wilkinson, 38, from Manchester, and Jermaine Ward, 24, all deny the murder of David Short. Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender. | Francis Dixon, 37, from Stockport, Anthony Wilkinson, 38, from Manchester, and Jermaine Ward, 24, all deny the murder of David Short. Mohammed Ali, 32, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, is accused of assisting an offender. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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