Police found almost £200,000 stuffed inside a Cops and Robbers gambling machineduring a raid on suspected amphetamines dealers last week.
Police executed warrants to search three Salford addresses on June 3 – including properties on Westwood Crescent and Old School Court in Eccles and Mitcheson Gardens.
Officers discovered a large quantity of cash within locked safe deposit boxes, as well as thousands hidden inside an old slot machine.
£192,210 was recovered in total – alongside controlled substances packaged for supply, believed to be amphetamine.
Officers recovered almost £200k from an old Cops & Robbers slot machine in Salford / Image: GMP
One man has already admitted money laundering and drug offences and is set to be sentenced at a later date.
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Another suspect has been released whilst enquires continue.
The raids were conducted as part of GMP Salford’s Operation Naseby – a taskforce set up to tackle organised crime in the city.
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Since its inception in April 2020, police say there has been a 40% drop in firearms discharges as a result.
Featured image: GMP
Salford
New DNA evidence could clear ‘innocent’ man who spent 17 years in prison for Salford rape
Emily Sergeant
A man who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he has continued to claim he did not commit has now been granted a fresh appeal after DNA was linked to an alternative suspect.
57-year-old Andrew Malkinson from Grimsby was convicted by a jury verdict of 10-2 of strangling and raping a woman in Little Hulton in Salford back in 2003, and was jailed for life following a trial at Manchester Crown Court in February 2004.
The victim – who had been walking home alone in the early hours of 19 July 2003 – was sexually assaulted after being throttled until the point of unconsciousness, and also suffered a broken neck and a fractured cheekbone during the attack.
There was no DNA or other forensic evidence linking Mr Malkinson to the crime at the time, and the prosecution case relied mainly on identification evidence from eyewitnesses.
This is why he has always maintained his innocence and insisted it was a case of mistaken identity.
New DNA evidence could clear ‘innocent’ man who spent 17 years in prison for Salford rape / Credit: APPEAL
Mr Malkinson had twice been refused an appeal in the past after applying for his case to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) – which is the body responsible for investigating alleged miscarriages of justice – but after being released on license from prison back in 2020, scientific techniques have advanced, and this has potentially lead to some new evidence.
The legal team at the charity APPEAL was able to commission new DNA testing that revealed the presence of unknown male DNA in samples taken from the victim and her clothing, and this “breakthrough” has therefore cast doubt on Mr Malkinson’s conviction.
APPEAL Director Emily Bolton said “the battle for justice is not yet over”, adding that the CCRC “will now form its own view of the fresh evidence and we hope they will agree that Andy’s conviction cannot now be regarded as safe.”
Mr Malkinson says he “finally has the chance to prove his innocence”.
“I am innocent. Finally, I have the chance to prove it. I only have one life and so far 20 years of it has been stolen from me. Yesterday I turned 57 years old. How much longer will it take?” – Andy on his CCRC referral decision
“I am innocent,” Mr Malkinson questioned in a statement provided by his legal representatives.
“Finally, I have the chance to prove it thanks to the perseverance of my legal team at APPEAL. I only have one life and so far 20 years of it has been stolen from me. Yesterday I turned 57 years old. How much longer will it take?”
As well as the case having being referred back to the CCRC this week, in light of new information, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed last month that it had arrested a 48-year-old man from Exeter on suspicion of rape, but he has since been released under investigation.
Addressing Mr Malkinson’s case, CCRC chairwoman Helen Pitcher said: “The new results raise concerns about the safety of these serious convictions.
“It is now for the Court of Appeal to decide whether they should be quashed.
Our client Andy Malkinson, who spent more than 17 years in prison maintaining his innocence, is at last given the chance to clear his name.
“New evidence can come to light years after a conviction, and in the ever-changing world of forensic science, it is crucial an independent body can undertake these enquiries and send cases of concern back to court.
“Following Mr Malkinson’s application, we used our special powers and expertise to re-examine this case, instructing experts to undertake state-of-the-art DNA testing.”
A theatre show with giant life-like dinosaur puppets is coming to The Lowry
Daisy Jackson
The stage at The Lowry theatre will be taken over by gigantic dinosaurs next month when a new children’s theatre show comes to town.
Dinosaur World Live will see life-like dinosaur puppets patrolling around the theatre in Salford.
The interactive show introduces audiences to creatures including the iconic Tyrannosaurus Rex, along with a Giraffatitan, Microraptor, Segnosaurus and Triceratops.
Audiences will meet Miranda, a daughter of palaeontologists, who grew up on a far-away island where dinosaurs still roam.
Miranda has now gathered up her pre-historic friends and is bringing them to Salford.
And audience members can get up close and personal after the show with an in-person meet-and-greet.
Dinosaur World Live even comes with a warning – ‘Some of these dinosaurs aren’t as docile as they seem!’
The show was written by Manchester Theatre Award-winner Derek Bond, and the creative team includes puppetry experts who have worked on the likes of War Horse and Cirque du Soleil.
Dinosaur World Live will be at The Lowry in Salford from Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 February.
Shows will take place at 2pm on the Thursday, 11am and 2pm on Friday, and 11am and 2pm on the Saturday – you can book your tickets here.
The Manc -
7th June 2021 
