CCTV Armed Attack on Prison Van in Salford Manchester UK
A gang of men and women who either conspired to free two men who were sprung from a prison van or were involved in the escape itself have been convicted.
Ryan MacDonald (15/04/
1993), and
Stevie McMullen (born 21/01/
1982), both of no fixed address, admitted conspiring to escape from lawful custody. They were also found guilty of conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
Karla Withers (06/01/
1985), of
St Joseph's Drive, Ordsall, was found guilty of conspiring to escape from lawful custody following a trial. She also pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate.
Nathan Chapman (15/12/
1988), of
Mulberry Court,
Pendleton and
Anthony Smith (24/09/
1992), of no fixed address, both admitted conspiracy to escape from lawful custody and conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Matthew Patrick McGivern (17/07/
1981), of
Red Moss Row, Agecroft was found guilty of conspiracy to escape from lawful custody.
Marcus Hill (17/09/1985) of
Chedworth Crescent,
Little Hulton and
Michael Crossley (16/08/
1987) of
Bradford Road,
Farnworth both admitted assisting an offender.
Michael Morrison (01/08/
1995) of
Adelphi Court,
Salford admitted conspiracy to escape from lawful custody.
Stephen Wilson (07/08/1995) of
Rosamund Drive, Salford, was found guilty of conspiracy to escape from lawful custody.
Mavis Chapman (06/11/1949), of
West Crown Ave, Ordsall, Salford, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
In addition, Ainsley MacDonald (03/05/1992), was found guilty of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an either way offence after it was established she had contacted
Ryan McDonald on a contraband mobile phone while he was in prison.
On the morning of Tuesday 30
April 2013, Ryan MacDonald and Stevie McMullen were being transported in a GEOAmey prison van to
Manchester Crown Court from
HMP Altcourse in
Merseyside.
McMullen was due to appear in relation to charges of conspiracy to rob. MacDonald was due to be sentenced for unconnected offences of conspiracy to commit robbery. He was sentenced to seven years and two months in his absence, while on the run.
At 9am, as the van travelled along Regent Road, Salford, it was approached by a
Saab motor vehicle containing Nathan Chapman, Anthony Smith, Matthew Patrick McGivern and a fourth as yet unidentified person.
The prison van was attacked by three of the men, who were armed with an axe, sledge hammer and double barrelled shotgun.
One offender smashed the driver's window with the axe before the van driver was threatened with the shotgun and hit about the head.
They forced the GEOAmey staff to release McMullen and MacDonald.
The gang then jumped into the Saab and drove a short distance along Regent Road before abandoning the car.
Following his charge and while on remand Anthony Smith disclosed to inmates and prison guards during a workshop that he had been involved in the freeing of McMullen and MacDonald. He also said the gang had to flee the Saab after it broke down.
MacDonald escaped on the back of a motorbike driven by another man. They left the bike outside
Status Car Hire on Furlow
Street, Salford. They were later captured on
CCTV.
The rest ran off through the Ordsall estate, discarding various items as they fled, including an axe that was thrown into the garden of a house on West Crown
Avenue.
An immediate investigation and manhunt was launched.
It was established that:
Chapman, McGivern and
Smith were involved in the attack on the prison van.
Marcus Hill and Michael Crossley assisted McMullen while he was on the run by driving him from
Bolton to
Lancaster. They were all together in a
Nissan Juke motor vehicle when McMullen was arrested.
Michael Morrison and Stephen Wilson purchased a sledgehammer that was found in the Saab after it was recovered. Investigating detectives were able to establish the sledgehammer was only sold in
Clas Ohlson stores. The store at Arndale was visited and the pair were identified on CCTV. Morrison's fingerprint was also found on the bag that contained the sledgehammer.
Mavis Chapman - Nathan Chapman's grandmother - attempted to hide the axe that was discarded when the gang ran off through the Ordsall estate. It was found concealed in a neighbour's wheelie bin beneath other items having been discarded in a neighbour's garden. The axe has been forensically linked to the attack on the GEOAmey van.
Karla Withers' home was used by the gang just before the attack on the prison van.
Moments before the incident police had received a call of suspicious activity involving a number of men that had gone into the address from a Saab that had been parked on her driveway.