Extra time has been given to police to continue questioning the four people arrested over the terror attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall.
The shocking knife and car attack, which took place last Thursday 2 October on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar at the the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, saw two men sadly lose their lives – Adrian Daulby, 53, who is believed to have been shot dead by police while trying to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, a worshipper who also helped stop the attacker.
The attacker has been named as 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie – a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who lived in Prestwich – who at the time was on bail for an alleged rape, before being shot by police.
Three other men also still remain in hospital at this time.
#UPDATE | Latest statement from Counter Terrorism Policing following the terrorist attack in Crumpsall as our investigation continues.
We would continue to ask that anybody with information please share that with us directly.
The ongoing investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), supported by resources from across the national Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) network and Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
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Police say ‘significant resources’ from across CTP have been ‘mobilised’ in order to establish the full picture into what happened.
This past Friday, the head of counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, gave an update on the investigation declaring that a ‘suspicious device’ attached to al Shamie’s torso was fake, and that police believed he ‘may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology’.
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With the investigation said to be ‘continuing at pace’, GMP has now been given extra time to question four individuals currently in police custody.
The warrants relate to – which relate to two men, aged 30 and 32, and two women, aged 46 and 61 – have ben extended after their arrests on suspicion of commission, preparation, and instigation of acts of terrorism.
This means they can remain in custody for up to a further five days from the point that warrant was granted (Saturday 4 October).
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“We understand there is significant public interest in this case, and appreciate many who may have known or had previous contact with Jihad Al-Shamie will be coming to terms with the fact this horrifying attack has been perpetrated by somebody they recognise,” GMP said in a statement.
Appealing to the public, the police continued: “We would also ask people to refrain from speculation or sharing unverified information as that could potentially cause unnecessary delays in our enquiries and additional upset for all those impacted by these horrific events.
Read more:
If you have information, then please contact police via the Major Incident Public Portal which is available online here.
Featured Image – GMP
Crime
Paedophile cousins jailed for combined 58 years after sexually exploiting teen girls in Bury
Emily Sergeant
A duo of paedophile cousins have been handed lengthy jail sentences for non-recent child sexual exploitation.
Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, from Bury and Radcliffe respectively, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court this week, where they were subsequently jailed for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of teenage girls in Bury during the late 1990s.
Hussain and Ali particularly targeted ‘vulnerable’ girls, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained as the two men were sentenced.
They groomed the victims by offering them alcohol, drugs, money, and lifts in their cars before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse in homes, vehicles, and other locations in Bury and parts of Wales in the 1990s.
The abuse was orchestrated and sustained, with victims often being made to feel indebted to the men. In some cases, they were threatened or coerced into sexual acts.
At the time, both men ran market stalls, which is how they first met some of the girls.
#JAILED | Thanks to the bravery of the victims coming forward, two paedophiles have today been jailed for a combined 58 years for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of vulnerable teenage girls in Bury during the late 1990s pic.twitter.com/lYsh2lXl7G
Following the trial, Hussain was jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of seven counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault, while Ali was jailed for 28 years after being found guilty of five counts of rape, five counts of indecent assault, and one count of an attempted indecent assault.
Chief Inspector Ian Partington, who was the senior investigating officer in this case, described Hussain and Ali as being ‘sexual predators’.
Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), added: “These sentences reflect the severity of the appalling crimes committed by Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, who deliberately targeted, groomed and systematically abused five vulnerable children, treating them as objects for their own sexual gratification.
“The defendants showed no remorse for their actions, which have had a lasting and profound impact on the victims’ lives.
“These women have carried the trauma of this abuse for more than two decades. I would like to thank them again for coming forward, speaking so bravely about what happened to them, and seeing this case through to its conclusion.
“I hope these sentences provide some sense of justice and closure for the victims and demonstrate that no matter how much time has passed, those who commit such heinous crimes against children will be held accountable.”
Featured Image – GMP
Crime
Joey Barton officially sentenced over offensive online posts
Danny Jones
Retired footballer Joey Barton has officially been sentenced following a series of offensive posts on social media over the past year or so.
Six counts pertaining to three individuals, in particular, were highlighted when he appeared for his final hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 8 December: online abuse directed at fellow ex-pros Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
Charged and now finally found guilty of ‘grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety’, Joey Barton has been given a six-month prison sentence – suspended for 18 months, however, meaning he won’t serve jail time unless he reoffends during this period.
Here he is queuing up outside the Crown Court earlier today:
BREAKING: Former footballer Joey Barton given six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months over "grossly offensive" social media posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko. pic.twitter.com/dQuAAT1mQu
For context, the social media posts in question refer to the ones made on X (previously known as Twitter) and directed at the aforementioned public figures.
The former Manchester City player and Liverpool youth product, who is originally from Merseyside but is now based around Widnes in Cheshire, was found guilty on Friday despite insisting his innocence throughout.
Barton – now 43 and having become a vocal far-right commentator – compared Aluko and Ward to two of the most infamous convicted serial killers in British history, writing that they were “the Fred and Rose West of football commentary” back in January 2024.
He also labelled radio host and TV presenter, Vine, a “bike nonce” in a post that he later went on to dismiss as nothing more than “crude banter” and an attempt at “dark and stupid humour”, stating that he has no intention of actually suggesting he was a paedophile.
Elsewhere in the court appearance, Barton claimed that he is a victim of “political prosecution”; nevertheless, the judge found that the one-time England international (who also played for Newcastle, QPR, Burnley, Rangers and Marseille) “crossed the line between free speech and a crime.”
You can see the moment Judge Andrew Menary handed down the verdict, which will see him avoid time in custody once more, in full down below.
As per an official update via the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Senior Prosecutor Callum Bryce of CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: “Between early January and mid-March 2024, Barton subjected three public figures to offences of malicious communications.
“Barton said in his evidence before the court that in some of his messages he was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way and that in others he was simply joking.
“The finding of the jury confirmed that his conduct had gone beyond any joke and his messages were grossly offensive with the purpose of causing anxiety and distress to his victims.”
It’s also worth noting that he has been charged, found guilty and sentenced before already this year.
Emily Sergeant -
6th October 2025 
