Ex-cop recalls harrowing moment he saw colleagues dying in the street after attack by one-eyed monster Dale Cregan
Julian Broddle, 52, told how PC Fiona Bone, 32, and PC Nicola Hughes, 26, insisted on patrolling together that day so they could chat about the Christmas bash
AN EX-cop has recalled the harrowing moment he saw his female colleagues dying in the street after being attacked by one-eyed monster Dale Cregan.
The killer is serving life at Ashworth high-security unit, Merseyside, for murdering unarmed officers Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 26, in 2012.
Writing in his book Down the Line, Julian said: “The day started normally when all of a sudden there was an alarming call on our personal radios that there had been gunshots and officers down.
“We sped off to assist. We got to Hyde to be confronted with our worst nightmare.
“Paramedics were already working on Nicola and Fiona, trying to keep them alive.
“I overheard a senior paramedic say that one of the officers hadn’t made it and it’s highly unlikely the other will survive.
Julian added: “The police force is one big family and we all go through the pain when we hear such words. It was a devastating blow.
“Orders were given to clear the area, but I thought ‘I’m going nowhere’ so offered to start the door-to-door enquiries.
“I could already see the stress and horror on the faces of colleagues leaving the scene.”
The former cop said he and his colleagues were left distraught when the terrible news that both Fiona and Nicola had died was confirmed several hours later.
He also revealed the tragic story of how the pair came to be on patrol together that day – because they wanted to chat about the Christmas party.
Julian wrote: “Nicola and Fiona weren’t actually meant to be working together that day.
“It was meant to be another police officer and one of the girls, but they got together because they were working out the details of the Christmas party.
“They wanted to work out how much to put in the kitty every week, so asked to go together.”
Cregan shot dead Mark Short, 23, and his dad David, 46, in 2012 before going on the run.
Just six weeks later he used a false report of a break-in to lure cops Nicola and Fiona to a house, where he shot them and threw a grenade at their bodies in a violent attack in Hattersley, Tameside, in September 2012.
He opened the front door as the officers walked up the garden path and immediately shot them with a Glock handgun, shooting PC Hughes eight times, including three bullets to the head as she lay on the ground.
PC Bone was also hit up to eight times, but managed to fire her taser as Cregan shot 32 bullets in less than 30 seconds.
He threw a military grenade on the path where the bodies lay before dropping his gun and driving a short distance to Hyde police station, where he calmly walked up to the counter clerk and said: "I'm wanted by the police and I've just done two coppers."
Cregan put his arms out to be handcuffed and said he was there to hand himself in.
He then told an officer: "I dropped the gun at the scene and I've murdered two police officers. You were hounding my family so I took it out on yous."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.'