A jury has been told of the moment that Dale Cregan began firing at two unarmed female police officers Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone he had lured them to a house he was hiding in.

In just over 31 seconds the jury was told that he had fatally wounded PCs Fiona Bone, 32 and Nicola Hughes, 23, firing all the bullets he had at the young officers.

On September 18 last year, Cregan was in hiding in a house in Abbey Gardens, Hattersely, Manchester, the jury heard.

He made a 999 call to police claiming there was a burglary and when told an officer was on the way, Cregan replied: “I’ll be waiting,” said the prosecution.

Nicholas Clarke QC told the jury: “He had carefully put in place a plan that he knew would ensure that an unsuspecting police officer or officers would be sent to the door, to attend to a household who had been the victim of damage to his house.

“Cregan knew that the officers who attended would have no idea what would be waiting for them.”

PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone were assigned the call and made their way from Hyde Police station to the address.

“On arrival, the two officers stepped out of their van and walked forward the short distance to number 30.

“Cregan’s carefully laid plan had been successful,” said Mr Clarke.

“He had lured two unarmed officers to his door and he was armed, ready and waiting for them.

“As Nicola and Fiona walked through the small front garden, he opened the front door and immediately fired his Glock.”

The jury heard how both officers were shot in the chest. The body armour they were wearing protected them and the bullets did not penetrate, the prosecution said.

The officers, the court heard, made a “tactical retreat”.

“PC Fiona Bone moved to the right, getting out of the line of sight and PC Nicola Hughes turned to run up the path. As they retreated more shots were fired.

“PC Hughes was shot just below her armoured vest in the middle of her back and was immediately paralysed causing her to fall forwards onto the path.

“As she was falling or lying flat on her stomach she was shot three more times.

“Cregan then turned his attention to PC Fiona Bone. She was trapped in front of the lounge window and he discharged 24 shots at her. Some struck the officer others the house,” the court heard.

She managed to draw and fire her Taser but it was discharged into a hard surface, probably the paving, the jury was told.

The court was told that only a matter of 31 seconds had passed between Nicola Hughes switching off the engine of their vehicle and Fiona Bone firing the Taser.

Mr Clarke said: “Most of the bullets struck her body armour or the wall at the front of the house but she was the central target.”

PC Bone was shot between five and eight times receiving a total of eight gunshot-related injuries, the prosecution said.

“As she turned and fell one bullet managed to get through under her arm. She was killed by a perforating shot to the upper left side of her chest which caused fatal injuries to the top of her heart.

“Cregan wasn’t finished. He turned his attention to PC Hughes and fired three more shots into the back and side of her head. She was shot eight times causing a total of seven gunshot-related injuries,” the jury heard.

The court was told that Cregan fired a total of 32 bullets at the two unarmed police officers.

Mr Clarke added: “Before he fled Abbey Gardens he made sure he left his usual calling card.

“He launched a fragmentation grenade back towards the garden of number 30 where the two police officers were lying on the floor.”

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