Two men received jail sentences yesterday at Bolton Crown Court and another man and a woman received suspended sentences, for firearms and drugs offences, resulting from a drugs debt owed by a Leigh man.
Jordan Winstanley,28,of 32 Butler Street, Wigan, was imprisoned for six-and-a-half-years for aggravated burglary and Robbie Arnold,23,of Suffolk Grove, Wigan, received a total of five years for possessing an imitation firearm and production/supply of class A, and supply of class B drugs.
Two others received suspended sentences for the parts they played in the conspiracy – Bethany Twist,22of 10 Emerald Avenue, Wigan received a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months, together with 70 hours community service and 20 rehabilitation days.
Adam Guy,25,of Turner Street, Leigh, received an eight-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 120 hours community service, 15 rehabilitation days and was subject to a Drug Rehabilitation Order.
These sentences were handed down as the result of a complex and lengthy investigation by Greater Manchester Police – Operation Alsace.
Police were called to Manchester Road in Leigh on the evening of Sunday 17 March 2019 to reports of a woman being stabbed. On attendance, police found Deborah Twist 40, who had received a fatal stab wound to the left side of the chest.
It was reported that the victim had been in his home on Manchester Road earlier with his pregnant girlfriend, when a gang of people, who all wore face coverings, burst into the property and threatened him with a firearm, which later proved to be imitation.
The victim picked up a knife off the kitchen counter to protect himself, fending off blows from the group. He received numerous injuries to his nose and hands during the attack and at this time, Twist received a fatal stab wound.
A man was arrested for murder but was later NFA’d following CPS advice and authority of the Chief Crown Prosecutor around ‘householder defence.’
The court heard that the son of the victim of the aggravated burglary had run up a debt of £170 for cannabis, supplied to him by the Twist family. He himself had been attacked by Twist two days earlier, when she demanded repayment of the drugs debt. He agreed to pay back the money he owed on Monday 18 March 2019.
On Sunday 17 March 2019, Twist, her son and daughter, and other friends Adam Guy – who is the boyfriend of Bethany Twist – and Robbie Arnold all met at a local pub for drinks. It was on their walk back home that she pointed out the victim’s address and identified him as the father of the man who owed her money. At this point, the debt had been reduced by £50, so stood at £70.
She asked her son and Robbie to knock on the door and ask for the return of the money. At 6pm that evening, the group returned and when they received no response from knocking, they all made their way to the back of the property and burst in.
When police searched the Manchester Road address, they recovered a plastic bag containing a claw hammer and a machete (which was a neighbour’s roof). A search of Robbie Arnold’s address recovered a paintball gun, which had also been used in the attack.
Detective Chief Inspector Wes Knights of the Major Incident Team said: “We are extremely pleased with today’s results, which reflect the severity of this attack.
“This has been a very lengthy and complex investigation owing to the circumstances, whereby, unusually someone has tragically lost their life during the commission of a crime which cannot be forgotten.
“We are grateful to the victim and his family for all the support they have given us during our investigation, in what can only be described as an extremely distressing time for them.
“I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for their assistance in this case which has presented many challenges – at the forefront, has been an ethical and transparent investigation interrogating all facets of this tragedy.
“The overriding message from these unfolding events being that any form of violent offending will always be pursued relentlessly by the Greater Manchester Police to prevent any further offending and protect the public.
“The evidence against these four individuals was overwhelming and I would like to thank my Major Incident Team for all of their hard work in securing these convictions.”
