Dale Cregan admits father and son murders in Greater Manchester Published duration 22 May 2013

image caption David Short (left) was killed at his home in August, with his son Mark shot dead in May

Police killer Dale Cregan has admitted the murders of a father and son in Greater Manchester.

Mark Short, 23, was shot in a pub in Droylsden in May 2012. His father David, 46, was killed in a gun and grenade attack in Clayton last August.

Cregan, 29, has now admitted four murders including those of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes.

Simon Csoka QC told the jury at Preston Crown Court his client "is going to die in prison".

The trial heard how David Short was fatally injured when Cregan and Anthony Wilkinson attacked him at his home on 10 August.

Weeks earlier, on 25 May, Cregan had shot dead Mark Short while he played pool in the Cotton Tree pub.

Shortly after the trial started he admitted the murders of the two Greater Manchester Police officers in Abbey Gardens, Mottram, in September last year.

The jury heard how Cregan lured PCs Bone and Hughes to a house before shooting them repeatedly and then throwing a grenade.

Four murders

Earlier in court, Cregan offered guilty pleas to the attempted murder of three men in the pub attack - John Collins, Ryan Pridding and Michael Belcher.

He also admitted causing an explosion, but denies the attempted murder of Sharon Hark.

image caption Dale Cregan, 29, has now admitted four murders including those of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes

In his closing speech, Mr Csoka said: "You now know for sure that he has murdered four people and that he has attempted to murder others inside the Cotton Tree pub.

"Ordinarily in a closing speech the defence barrister will tell you how important your task is, how it makes so much difference, how the liberty of the defendant hangs in the balance.

"All of those words mean nothing now, absolutely nothing.

"He is going to be sentenced for four murders and three attempted murders. He is not going anywhere. He is going to die in prison."

Nine co-defendants

It is alleged by the Crown the violence first started after a "long-standing feud" between two rival Manchester families - the Shorts and the Atkinsons.

The court previously heard the pub shooting was ordered by Leon Atkinson, 35, from Ashton-under-Lyne, and that Cregan recruited Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley.

Damian Gorman, 37, from Glossop, Ryan Hadfield, 28, from Droylsden, and Matthew James, 33, from Clayton, were also recruited for the task.

They all deny the murder of Mark Short and the attempted murders of Mr Collins, Mr Pridding and Mr Belcher.

In April, Anthony Wilkinson, 34, changed his plea to guilty over the murder of David Short.

He denies one count of the attempted murder of Sharon Hark and causing an explosion with a hand grenade.

Francis Dixon, 37, from Stalybridge, and Jermaine Ward, 24, deny the above charges relating to David Short and Sharon Hark.