A local man has been jailed after making “shocking and disturbing” threats towards an MP and NHS workers.
Ryan Breheny, from the Greater Manchester town of Wigan, appeared at Bolton Crown Court this week (Tuesday 17 September) after he called 999 back in June of this year and threatened to kill hospital workers, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
On top of these serious threats to kill, he also claimed to the 999 call operator that he had been offered an AK47.
Not long after this, GMP then revealed that the 48-year-old sent emails to an MP’s office with messages that contained more threats to kill.
Police officers attended his property following the call made to 999 and emails sent to the local MP, and when they knocked on his door, Breheny arrived with a crossbow and subsequently began to arm it, before being arrested shortly after.
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Further weapons including air rifles, crossbow bolts, and a machete, were also discovered during a search of his house.
Recounting the order of events, a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesperson said in a statement that Breheny used the word “execute” multiple times in his call to 999, and referred to the specific weapons he was planning on using, as well as referring to chemicals he could get hold of and how “easy” it was to make a bomb.
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“Less than an hour later, he sent two threatening email messages to an MP’s constituency office,” the CPS spokesperson added.
“The messages contained threats to kill the MP.”
Abbie Clarke, for the CPS said: “Breheny’s threats have caused fear and distress to the staff at the MP’s office. “Members of Parliament and the emergency services play vital roles in our communities and criminality cannot be allowed to impede or affect that.
Breheny plead guilty to the aforementioned offences during a subsequent court appearance, and following this, was jailed for three years and three months for threats to kill at Bolton Crown Court this week.
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“Breheny’s threats were shocking and disturbing, causing distress to those involved,” commented Detective Constable Cupitt, from GMP’s Wigan CID.
“We will not hesitate to act where people make these sort of threats and will seek to secure the appropriate charges.
“We work closely with elected officials to ensure they can carry out their work without the fear of individuals who would cause them harm, and will always do our best to protect them and our communities.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.