'He thought the false eye made him look like a Bond baddie': The cold-hearted killer with

a taste for the dramatic

One theory is left eyeball was crushed during Thailand street brawl But police say socket is not damaged, so probably sliced out Cregan revelled in the 'dramatic image' his missing eye gave him
By Jaya Narain PUBLISHED: 22:51 GMT, 13 June 2013 | UPDATED: 07:32 GMT, 14 June 2013

20 shares 63 View comments

Reputation: Gangster Dale Cregan, who had a 50,000 reward on his head, claimed that he lost his eye in a fight, but police believe it was cut out

Dale Cregans false black onyx eye became a badge of pride and a mark of his hardman image on the streets of East Manchester. He knew the false eye and the empty socket behind it which had to be searched every time he came into court looked menacing. Criminal associates say he would use it to intimidate other drug dealers. But mystery surrounds how he lost his left eye. Some say it was badly damaged by a knuckleduster in a drunken bar-room brawl while others say it was knocked out in a fight with gangsters in Bangkok. But a police source said officers were suspicious of the stories because there is no marking or scar tissue around his eye socket. They suspect his eye may have been plucked out by a knife-wielding crime rival. The source added: He thought it made him look like a baddie out of a James Bond film. He was definitely looking for a dramatic image and this fulfilled it. Cregan was subjected to twice-daily checks behind his false eye as part of the security operation surrounding his trial. During the trial, a source at HMP Manchester, better known as Strangeways, said: Every time he comes in and every time he goes out of the building he must be searched and checked including behind his eye. Because he is a category A prisoner, each time he leaves these walls he is strip-searched and he must take his eye out so we can look behind it for drugs or some sort of weapon or anything he shouldnt have. And every time he comes back from court he gets strip-searched again and he has to take his eye out again and it p****s him off. Scroll down for video

Cold-blooded: Cregan decided in advance he would kill the police, and eventually took lives of PC Fiona Bone (left) and PC Nicola Hughes (right) after calling 999 claiming there was a burglary where he was hiding

* Cregan's use of grenades during his killing spree was incredibly worrying, said Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.

He said: It was military-style weaponry grenades from a former war zone. The worry is that there are huge numbers of these weapons out there from other parts of the world and it is relatively easy for certain individuals to import them into this country. Sources revealed that hand grenades, machine guns, bullets and even rockets were among a shocking array of firepower available on the black market.

Attack: Cregan emptied the magazine of this Glock handgun and then dumped it by the bodies of the officers he had just fatally injured

Extraordinary: Greater Manchester Police discovered this stash of grenades inside a storm drain during Dale Cregan's 17-week trial

The shopping list available to criminals means they can buy grenades for as little as 150 each, while semi-automatic handguns with bullets cost 250. Military-issue assault rifles cost 500 to 1,000 while a magazine of bullets for the weapons costs anything from 5 to 50. Grenades are the latest addition to the arsenal of criminals as they ramp up the terror quotient. Cregan had an arsenal of M75 hand grenades and used four during his murderous spree which claimed the lives of four people last year. Only last week police found a cache of ten grenades believed to be linked to Cregan at an address in Greater Manchester. Police say the grenades used by Cregan came from the former Yugoslavia. The M75 is a fragmentation grenade which has 3,000 tiny steel balls packed into its shell which explode over a 50m radius. Police sources say the Yugoslavian grenades are available on Britains streets and are becoming a status symbol among criminals.
'Nothing short of executions': CPS on Cregan murders

Tribute: Bryn Hughes, father of Pc Nicola Hughes, reads a statement outside Preston Crown Court after Dale Cregan was told he will die in prison

Deceit: Police forensics at the scene of the officers's death, where Cregan fired 32 times, threw a hand grenade then sped off in a car

Bereft: Police officers, who were almost all in tears, pause for thought after laying flowers near to the scene of the shooting

Paying their respects: Colleagues of the fallen PCs came in huge numbers to say their goodbyes and leave messages and flowers

Property: Windows were smashed and the wall scorched at this house in Droylsden, Manchester, caused by a Grenade thrown by Dale Cregan

Stash: This is the drain in Onchan Avenue, Oldham where a bag of explosives was hidden by Dale Cregan

Images: Police took pictures of these walls where Cregan's grenades pitted them with shrapnel and smashed nearby window throwing glass everywhere

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Comments (63)
Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Sometimes only a death penalty is fitting. - Bemused American , Northwest, United States, 15/6/2013 05:06 Click to rate Report abuse He's a ugly pig. - M M , UK, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 23:10 Click to rate Report abuse 50 years at 40000 per year in prison - is that how we want to spend 2Million? Where are our priorities. - Stillhere , Newcastle, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 22:30 Click to rate Report abuse Just hang the b++++++d! - GregSH , Swindon, 14/6/2013 17:11 Click to rate Report abuse He will never rest easy in prison, shame that. - Miranda , West Country, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 17:05 Click to rate Rating 6 Rating 18 Rating 11 Rating 6 Rating 10

Report abuse some fool in the comments said he is hot. well just think of the lives he has shattered, silly person. - Deano , North Wales, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 14:50 Click to rate Report abuse He will need the eyes of a cameleon where he is now. - bean , Derby, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 14:18 Click to rate Report abuse Can a prison officer not just crush up some glass into powder and mix it in to his meals? I don't want to have 110k every year taken out of the tax pot to pay for his upkeep. - NineCountySeparatist , Ulaidh, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 13:01 Click to rate Report abuse so having 1 eye makes him look tough what next having 1 ear makes you look even tougher where do they get there ideas - Lynn Adams , leeds, United Kingdom, 14/6/2013 12:22 Click to rate Report abuse 50 years or so!!! why don't we bring back bread and water diets for RATS like these, a jail sentence does not amount to much these days except the cost to the TAX PAYER, and and DEFINITELY no PRIVILEGES. - Ray Ranting , Vichy, France, 14/6/2013 11:38 Click to rate Report abuse Share this comment The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Rating 32 Rating 12 Rating 11 Rating 8 Rating 14

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