Suspected burglar fatally stabbed

23 June 2011 Last updated at 12:54 GMT The man was taken to hospital but later died A suspected burglar has been stabbed to death while apparently trying to break into a house in Greater Manchester.

The man was one of four masked men trying to get into a house in Ethel Avenue, Salford on Wednesday night when a man inside tried to defend the house.

The stabbed man, 26, is believed to have been carried away by the other intruders as they fled, before being dumped in the street.

The householder, his son and son's girlfriend have been arrested.

Peter Flanagan, 57, and Neil Flanagan, 29, and a 21-year-old woman are being questioned on suspicion of murder.

Prime Minister David Cameron this week vowed to bring in stronger measures to protect homeowners defending their property.

'Shocking incident'

He said: "We will put beyond doubt that homeowners and small shopkeepers who use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties will not be prosecuted."

Ch Supt Kevin Mulligan, who heads Greater Manchester Police's Salford division, said the man suffered "at least one stab wound" during an altercation in the house involving at least one person from the address and four people breaking in.

He said he could not comment further on the injuries, or the cause of death, until a post-mortem investigation had been carried out.

He also refused to comment on whether the weapon had been taken into the property by the intruder, or if it belonged to the householder.

A 100m cordon has been put in place around the terraced house

Three other men were with the stabbed man at the time of the incident, Mr Mulligan said. They have yet to be traced.

He urged them, or anyone who knows of their whereabouts, to contact Greater Manchester Police.

When asked about whether householders should be able to defend themselves, Mr Mulligan said: "Within the existing legal framework, you can use reasonable force to protect yourself - the emphasis on reasonable."

He urged people who thought they were being burgled to contact police.

"I don't see it as my position to speculate on possible legislation in the future," he added.

Police have put up a 100m cordon around the terraced house in Pendlebury, which backs on to open scrubland.

The next-door neighbour to the house, Sylvia Sharp-Cadigan, said: "I went to bed at 10 o'clock and at about 12 o'clock heard all this commotion, all voices.

"There were four police cars outside. I came down and said to the police, 'What's going on?' He said, 'There's been a break-in.' I said, 'Is anybody hurt?' and he said, 'that's all I can say'."

Mr Mulligan said: "I can reassure the community that we will thoroughly investigate what happened last night and do not believe that members of the public are at risk.

"I would urge anyone who knows something to speak to officers from the major incident team and anyone else who has other concerns can speak to my officers, who will be providing an increased presence to provide the community with reassurance."

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Burglar freed in childcare case

27 May 2011 Last updated at 18:34 GMT Wayne Bishop said it had been hard for him to be away for six weeks A burglar from Nottingham has been freed from jail on appeal so he can care for his five children.

Wayne Bishop, 33, was jailed for eight months for breaking into a rugby club and crashing into a police car.

He argued the judgement breached his human rights and the Court of Appeal agreed not enough attention was paid to the effect on his children.

Mick Taylor of Nottinghamshire Police Federation said he felt Bishop had been "let off" by the court.

Bishop, of Southchurch Drive, Clifton, who raided Mansfield Rugby Club along with three other men in September 2010, apologised to his victims after being released from Ranby Prison.

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When he is in the pub tonight I think he will probably feel like he has been let off ”

End Quote Mick Taylor Police Federation 'Erred in law' The court heard that after taking only some chocolate, Bishop and one of his accomplices had escaped in a Ford Transit van before clipping a police vehicle, driving through red lights and becoming trapped in a dead-end street.

He was sentenced to four months for burglary and four months for dangerous driving in April after admitting the charges at Nottingham Crown Court.

After arriving back home, Bishop said: "I'm overjoyed to be reunited with my children. It has been hard for me to be away for six weeks.

"It was the first time and I have done wrong. It was the spur of the moment ... but people need to understand how hard it is to be a single parent on benefits.

"I am sorry for the victims and I am not going to do it again."

Justice system 'wrong'

But Mr Taylor said the courts should give more support to victims and "pay a little less regard to how criminals feel about their rights being infringed".

"This is a classic case of everything that is wrong with the criminal justice system these days," Mr Taylor said.

He said a police officer could have been seriously injured in the incident.

"When he (Bishop) is in the pub tonight I think he will probably feel like he has been let off - and I am sure my members will feel he has been left off."

Ian Wise, QC, told Mr Justice Maddison and Mr Justice Sweeney that since his incarceration his children - aged between five and 13 - had been cared for by his sister during the week and his ex-partner at weekends.

His sister is a single parent with seven children to look after already - five of them her own - and she lives seven miles from the schools which her nieces and nephews attend, the court heard.

'Done wrong'

Pointing to Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, Mr Wise said: "We submit that the judge erred in law in failing to have proper or any regard to the children that he was the sole carer for.

"The interests of the children should be central to the decision making process where children are affected by a decision."

Mr Justice Sweeney had questioned whether it was in the children's best interests for their father to be out committing burglary and asked who had been looking after them at that time.

But the judges together concluded that not enough attention had been paid to the effect on Bishop's children.

"It is important that criminals should not think that children can provide some sort of licence to commit criminal offences with impunity," said Mr Justice Maddison.

"All of that said, however, we have to be aware of the highly unsatisfactory and difficult situation faced by the children and those now doing their best to look after them.

Bishop's sentence was suspended for two years by the court.

The court was told that Bishop was the sole carer of his children for five nights a week.

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