Manhunt: How police caught gang of Wigan killers

The police hunt for the killers of a man who was forced into a car and brutally murdered in a case of mistaken identity is being shown in a television documentary.

Channel 4 series Manhunt follows Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as officers pursue the gang behind the vigilante killing of Wigan man Christopher Hughes, 37, in 2022.

It also follows detectives' investigation into the murder of young father, Neri Morse, 24, who was stabbed to death in a Manchester convenience store.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said the series showed viewers the "extreme lengths" officers go to in pursuing some of the region's most dangerous criminals.

The murders of Mr Hughes and Mr Morse were a "stark reminder of the devastation caused by the most violent criminals", Mr Jackson said.

A former boxer, Mr Hughes was forced into the back of a car in Wigan in February 2022 and driven to a rural area of Skelmersdale where he was stabbed more than 90 times by the gang.

They hatched their murder plot as they wrongly believed he had raped a teenage girl in the town, and were caught by police despite destroying CCTV, disposing of the car and deleting messages in a bid to cover their tracks.

Eight men were jailed for murder a year later.

In the second episode of the three part series, officers respond to the murder of Mr Morse, who was stabbed to death after a row at a convenience store in Ancoats in April 2022.

Rushaun Brown, 24, was jailed for life with a minimum 23-year term for his murder while Meshia Newby, 24, was handed a 14-year prison sentence.

In the final episode, scheduled for next Tuesday, filmmakers follow a probe into intelligence that a man was planning to go to a public event with a gun.

Mr Jackson said: "For the victims and their families, this isn't just a TV show, it's real life – our thoughts remain with them.

"We hope Manhunt gives the public confidence that GMP is equipped to fight serious crime," he said.

"And, in turn, acts as a deterrent to anyone in Greater Manchester who may be considering violence."

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