TWO MEN HELD IN MASSEY MURDER INQUIRY
Suspect, 37, arrested on plane after it lands at Manchester Airport Man, 48, quizzed by detectives following swoop in Salford Woman, 39, in custody after killing of ‘Mr Big’s’ pal John Kinsella
THREE years after he was killed by an assassin with a sub-machine gun police have made arrests in connection with the murder of Salford’s ‘Mr Big’ Paul Massey.
Three people have been detained in connection with the killing of Mr Massey and his close friend John Kinsella as part of a joint operation between GMP and Merseyside Police.
In multiple dawn raids yesterday, warrants were executed at properties in Heywood, Salford and Cheshire in connection with both murders.
A 37-year-old man was arrested on a plane after it landed at Manchester Airport yesterday morning.
He is being held on suspicion of the murders of Mr Massey and Mr Kinsella.
A 39-year-old woman was also arrested at the airport, on suspicion of assisting an offender in relation to Mr Kinsella’s murder.
A 48-year-old man was arrested in Salford on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in relation to the investigation surrounding Mr Massey’s death.
All three were being quizzed by police last night.
The families of Mr Massey and Mr Kinsella have been informed of the arrests, police said.
Father-of-five Mr Massey, 55, was shot five times outside his home on Manchester Road in Clifton at 7.28pm on July 26, 2015, moments after arriving in his silver BMW.
He was found collapsed in his front garden.
The masked hitman was dressed in camouflage-style trousers and jacket.
Witnesses said he came from the direction of Clifton Community Centre heading towards Mr Massey’s house.
He fired a series of shots before walking back to the centre’s car park and then in the direction of the side alley next to St Anne’s Church.
A Home Office post-mortem concluded that Mr Massey died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
Witnessed claimed a man was seen at 7pm on Friday, July 24 – two days before the murder – at nearby Clifton Country Park carrying a torch and a gun.
A £50,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction of Mr Massey’s killer.
The Salfordian’s close friend Mr Kinsella, 53, died after being shot while walking his dog with his partner on a footpath, near to the St Helens Linkway and the M62 motorway in Rainhill, Merseyside, at 7am on Saturday, May 5 this year.
The killer, who was on a pedal bike and wearing a hi-vis jacket, also fired the gun at Mr Kinsella’s partner as she ran away from Norlands Lane.
A Home Office post-mortem concluded Mr Kinsella died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. Mr Kinsella, originally from Everton, was a pallbearer at Mr Massey’s funeral, and was known to the family as ‘Scouse John.’ They were long-standing friends and Mr Kinsella donated money towards Mr Massey’s funeral. Mr Kinsella was with Mr Massey on holiday in north Wales in the days leading up to his murder in 2015. Yesterday’s arrests were the first made in connection with each of the murders and followed extensive inquiries.
Det Chief Insp Carl Jones, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “The arrests have come as a result of a joint operation between Greater Manchester Police and Merseyside Police.
“We currently have two people in custody arrested in connection with the murder of Paul Massey and they will be questioned by GMP detectives.
“These are the first arrests that have been made in connection with Paul’s death and the investigation remains focused on establishing the truth and bringing answers to his family. Although the murders of Paul Massey and John Kinsella remain separate investigations by individual police forces, we will continue to liaise with colleagues from Merseyside Police as further enquiries are carried out.”
Det Chief Insp Mark Baker, of Merseyside Police’s Investigations Team, said: “Detectives from Merseyside
The investigation remains focused on establishing the truth and bringing answers to his family Det Chief Insp Carl Jones
have been carrying out extensive inquiries since the murder of John Kinsella just three weeks ago and have established a number of positive leads.
“We have been working together with both GMP and Cheshire Police and as a result of our inquiries were able to carry out this joint operation.”
Mr Massey, branded Salford’s ‘Mr Big’ during a council meeting in 1992, was jailed for 14 years for stabbing a man in the groin in 1999.
He stood to become mayor of Salford in 2012.