Shot dead on sofa & set on fire as her toddler slept upstairs… chilling murder of mum, 22, left unsolved for two decades
DEATH RIDDLE Shot dead on sofa & set on fire as her toddler slept upstairs… chilling murder of mum, 22, left unsolved for two decades
THE cruel murder of Lucy Hargreaves sent chills across the nation when it was first reported.
The Liverpudlian, 22, was shot dead as she lay on her sofa by three men and subsequently set on fire at her home in Walton, Liverpool, on 3 August 2005.
Advertisement
4
Lucy was killed in August 2005 when three men burst into her home
Credit: PA
4
The family of Lucy Hargreaves, 22, have appealed for anyone with information to come forward
Credit: PA
The intruders then set fire to the home in Lambourne Road, while the victim's partner, Gary Campbell and two-year-old daughter cheated death by escaping through an upstairs window.
Police arrested 21 people as part of their investigations, but no-one has been convicted for their role in Lucy's tragic death.
It's believed the gang were looking for Mr Campbell.
Campbell had allegedly been a passenger in a stolen car that had hit and killed a young boy 12 years earlier, supposedly the motive for the shooting.
Advertisement
He denied he was in the car at the time.
Cops have continued to urge anyone with information about a gold Lexus car which was reportedly dumped following the shooting to come forward.
A cluster of men are believed to have discarded the motor on Richard Kelly Drive, Clubmoor.
The individuals then raced towards Normandale Road.
Advertisement
Detectives previously pointed to Kevin Thomas Parle as a person of interest.
Parle, who was believed to be living abroad, was also wanted in connection with the killing of 16-year-old Liam Kelly who was murdered in June 2004 in Dingle, Liverpool.
Three charged with murder after boy, 19, stabbed to death in Powerleague football car park
Howard Rubbery, head of the Serious Crime Review Unit at Merseyside Police, said: "The family remain absolutely devastated by Lucy's death.
"It's important to note Lucy is an absolutely innocent victim. She's not from a family of criminality. She wasn't involved in criminality.
Advertisement
"The hunt for Kevin Parle is very much on, and we ask anybody with information, anybody who is close to Parle and knows where he is, to please come forward.
"There were three males responsible for this offence and we are looking for justice for Lucy's family in relation to all three.
"I do believe that there are people out there who have yet to speak to the police, even though it's 20 years on, who hold information that's absolutely vital to our investigation."
Two decades on from Lucy's death, her brave family released a previously unshared photograph of the mother-of-three, taken at college.
Advertisement
They said: "Over the past 20 years, people will have talked with family and friends.
"A number of people were contacted by males using a phone that was stolen, along with a vehicle used in Lucy's murder.
"The people who received those calls, along with others, could have information which could be crucial in achieving justice for Lucy, her parents, sister, children and all her extended family and friends.
"We appeal directly to them to please come forward.
Advertisement
"Now is the time."
Ms Hargreaves' family, who said they "miss her every single day", welcomed a focus on tackling violence against women and girls in recent years.
They praised the families of other victims of gun crime, including the mothers of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel and Ashley Dale, 28, who were shot in their homes in separate incidents in Liverpool in August 2022.
The family said: "We greatly admire the determination and guts of the families of those who have more recently been killed as a result of gun crime here in Merseyside.
Advertisement
"The mums of both Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt Korbel have led a real and powerful community challenge to men of violence."
The family added: "We consider ourselves to be an ordinary local family with strong roots in the Walton, Norris Green, Croxteth and Dovecot areas of Liverpool.
"Lucy's nanny Joyce was a strong mother of eight who had to cope with the loss of three granddaughters in her lifetime - including Lucy.
"Her nanny Betty, left a widow aged 35 with six children to bring up, was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to nursing as an auxiliary nurse in the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Advertisement
"They were two strong local women typical of their generation, and Lucy too was a strong woman who could have achieved so much had she only been given the opportunity."
4
Police previously said they wanted to speak to Kevin Thomas Parle in connection with Ms Hargreaves' murder
Credit: NCA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Small boats migrants from Muslim countries pose sexual assault risk
Sarah Pochin told reporters that a quarter of sexual assault convictions last year were committed by foreign nationals, as she warned of the risk of 'sexual assault and rape'. The Runcorn and Helsby MP also told the PA news agency that US President Donald Trump, who Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage has a close relationship with, could come across as a 'bit of a chauvinist' but had appointed women at the top of his team. Ms Pochin claimed the problem posed by migrants arriving on small boats from France was a 'national security' issue, which also posed significant dangers for women and girls. She said: 'The vast majority of these migrants are young, military-aged males. We can see it with our own eyes.' 'The inconvenient truth for the left is that the culture of men from predominantly Muslim countries like Afghanistan is one that holds a medieval view of women's rights. 'It is fundamentally alien to the centuries of progress made by our own western culture and attitudes. 'Women are at risk of sexual assault and rape from these men, hundreds of young men who arrive in this country, housed in our communities, who undoubtedly become sexually frustrated, have a warped view of their right to sexually assault women.' She claimed that of 1,453 sexual assault convictions in 2024, a quarter were committed by foreign nationals. She said: 'Afghan men are three times more likely to be convicted of a sexual offence than someone born in the United Kingdom and represent the largest group of migrants who commit sexual violence against women, and yet we know that 18,000 at least, were covertly let into this country by the last government with no security vetting.' She said Reform would deport all small boats migrants who live in Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), who have been moved out of hotels. Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham, Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Sarah Pochin, MP for Runcorn and Helsby, and leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, during a Reform UK press conference (Yui Mok/PA) The party would also deport foreign criminals, she added, and went on to tell a press conference on women's safety in Westminster that police would be made to respond to every 'inappropriate sexual behaviour' report made against a migrant. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the Government would deport foreign criminals who are not serving life sentences. He said: 'They have no place in our prisons, no place in our society. We've taken radical action to ramp up the deportation of the portion of foreign criminals. 'It's right that we seek to deport foreign criminals from our prisons, both saving money for the British taxpayer, but also protecting the public from dangerous criminals who would otherwise, after their release, be back on our streets.' Ms Pochin later said Mr Trump 'clearly does respect women' although she admitted he can appear as a 'bit of a chauvinist'. She denied Reform UK was aligned with the US president but added: 'Donald Trump certainly comes across at times, when I look at him through the television or the media, as possibly a bit of a chauvinist, or whatever. 'But look at his team. I mean, his press secretary (Karoline Leavitt) is awesome – can't remember her name – but he has a lot of very senior women in his team. 'So actually, he clearly does respect women and promotes women in his team, as Nigel is very much doing, as you've seen today, with four senior women hosting this press conference.' Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Dame Andrea Jenkyns speaks at a Reform UK press conference (Yui Mok/PA) Speaking at the event, the party's Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire Dame Andrea Jenkyns detailed physical threats and verbal abuse she and activists had faced online and in public. She criticised the police, including under the previous Conservative government she was a part of, for inaction over them. The former Tory minister detailed explicit threats she had faced and claimed those responsible were let off by police or not found. Dame Andrea said: 'I received 70 emails in three months telling me I needed to buy a stab vest and watch out. The person was let off with just a caution. 'I don't feel safe, and as a mother, I no longer feel that our children live in a safe, beautiful haven of Britain that I grew up in.' But she told PA she thought the Government's Online Safety Act, which has been criticised by Reform UK, would not solve the issue and would instead push people onto the 'dark web'. She said: 'We're already seeing quite benign social media posts being monitored, and how far does it go where it starts actually silencing free speech?'
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
The big questions the government needs to answer over Palestine Action
On March 31 1990, Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest Margaret Thatcher's poll tax. Windows were smashed and premises were set alight. 339 people were arrested. That is thought to be the record number arrested at a single protest in the UK – until last Saturday. The demonstration at the weekend was a very different affair. While six people were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers, the overwhelming majority – 522 – were arrested for holding up placards reading 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'. As of last month, Palestine Action (PA) is officially considered a terrorist group by the British government. The direct action network, which targets businesses and factories in a bid to draw attention to Israel's actions in Palestine, was proscribed by Parliament on the same day as the Russian Imperial Movement and the Maniacs Murder Cult. Speaking to the media today, a government spokesperson suggested some of those arrested on Saturday might not be aware of how the organisation they were supporting operates in real life. Asked if Keir Starmer thinks the demonstrators – average age 54 – are terrorists or supporters of a terrorist group, the spokesperson said: 'We've said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation.' He added that the assessments made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre were 'very clear', and PA is a 'violent organisation' that has committed 'violent, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage'. Hello, I'm Craig Munro and I'm Metro's man in Westminster. Every Wednesday, I write our Alright, Gov? newsletter with insights from behind the scenes in the Houses of Parliament – and how the decisions made there will end up affecting you. Last week we had a look inside Labour's split on trans women – and answered a question from a reader about if Sir Keir Starmer is likely to suspend more MPs in the future. Click here to sign up If the government believes people attended Saturday's protest without understanding who they were supporting, that means one of two things. Either they don't realise the extent of the crimes committed by PA, or they know about the crimes but don't believe they should be considered terrorism. If it's the first, ministers might need to work on publicising what exactly the group has done – and maybe even figure out a way to make public some of the details Home Office Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government 'cannot disclose because of national security' in an LBC interview today. If it's the second, ministers might need to clearly explain to the public why PA's acts have passed the legal threshold for terrorism. Dr Jessie Blackbourn, an expert in counter-terrorism law at Durham University, said this appeared to be the first time a group has been proscribed largely based on criminal damage rather than 'serious violence against people' such as murder or torture. One example of 'terrorism' defined under the Terrorism Act 2000 is 'serious damage to property' – a controversial clause in the legislation that has rarely been used until now. Dr Blackbourn told Metro: 'Obviously, the Home Secretary is convinced that she's applied the definition of terrorism correctly in proscribing this organisation. 'But I think if you ask someone on the street what terrorism looks like, they would be more likely to think of it as being something like the IRA or al Qaeda or Islamic State than Palestine Action.' When announcing the proscription, the Home Office pointed to three 'attacks' carried out by PA: one in 2022 at the Thales defence factory in Glasgow, and two last year at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol. The incident at Thales 'caused over £1 million worth of damage to parts essential for submarines', the department said, adding: 'Staff fled for safety as pyrotechnics and smoke bombs were thrown in evacuation areas.' A few days before the announcement, two activists from the group also broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged a pair of aircraft with red paint. Outlining the reasons for proscription to the House of Commons the following day, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Palestine Action's attacks are not victimless crimes. 'Employees have experienced physical violence, intimidation and harassment, and they have been prevented from entering their place of work. 'We would not tolerate this activity from organisations motivated by Islamist or extreme right-wing ideology, and we cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action.' Following Saturday's protest, Amnesty International UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: 'We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. More Trending 'These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified.' On July 30, the High Court ruled the proscription of Palestine Action could be reviewed after lawyers for the group's co-founder Huda Ammori argued the move gagged legitimate protest. However, Judge Mr Justice Chamberlain also refused a request to pause the ban temporarily until the outcome of the challenge. That raises the possibility of further demonstrations and even more arrests – unless the government is able to explain why the protesters shouldn't bother. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man 'throws water and grabs throat' of protester demanding release of Israeli hostages MORE: Netanyahu says Israel has 'no choice but to finish the job' in Gaza MORE: Netanyahu 'will have blood of hostages on his hands' if more are killed in Gaza takeover
Spectator
3 hours ago
- Spectator
The Met Police dealt with the Palestine Action protest admirably
Jonathan Porritt's arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000 is the apogee of a 'luxury belief.' Unlike the dozens of other younger people arrested in Westminster on Saturday for supporting the proscribed organisation Palestine Action (PA), Sir Jonathon Espie Porritt, 2nd Baronet CBE is a longstanding member of the administrative and political boss class. He declared himself 'privileged' to be nicked with the grandiose pomposity reserved for people who, by age or means, are insulated from any consequences. Others, inspired by their sanctimony, face potentially lifelong consequences for financial independence and freedom of movement, citizenship or employment, whether arrested or convicted. The weekend's protest in front of parliament resulted in a total of 522 arrests for offences against one of our most punitive pieces of legislation. Many commentators, including the front organisation for the mass civil disobedience group 'Defend our Juries', had prophesied the collapse of the Metropolitan police, overwhelmed by sheer numbers of defiant activists. This isn't quite what transpired – but the admission from the Met that it faced an entirely 'unrealistic challenge' to police a few hundred retired teachers and clerics was oddly defeatist. London's finest were augmented by officers from other forces across England and Wales. They were there in numbers and the approach was proportionate to all the other public order challenges it faces every weekend, as well as the basic requirement to keep neighbourhoods not in the slightest bit interested in events thousands of miles away safe. Those offered 'street bail' after arrest to conserve police numbers around Parliament Square and stop custody suites from collapsing should take no comfort in later defying any conditions attached to their freedom by rejoining the protest, even without placards. The Met will no doubt have deployed huge evidence-gathering resources and long after the transgressive glee has worn off, the knock on the door will come as a shock for many. We are also yet to see how the judiciary will act as these cases drift along our bunged-up criminal justice system. The decision to prosecute is likely not to be straightforward, as it will surely involve Attorney General Lord Hermer, whose 'militant' activism on the side of the human rights industry is well known. The decision to proscribe PA in the first place has his fingerprints all over it. The least anyone can routinely expect on conviction for this offence is a high-level community order including a curfew, unpaid work and rehabilitation activity. There is some wiggle room for 'exceptional circumstances' to reduce even that penalty but it has to be justified by the court. All eyes on the judiciary then, magistrates in particular. It's a pity that anyone protesting who is not in possession of a public sector pension or ancestral grandeur will not have been aware of the information now emerging about the decision to proscribe PA. It may have given some of them at least pause for thought. The government has been woefully uncoordinated when it comes to this point, continually sheltering behind the idea of 'national security' and a need-to-know basis. While the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has alluded to PA's directly anti-Semitic behaviour and links to malign foreign states, these were only made more explicit this morning when justice minister Alex Davies-Jones spelt out the risk of people with perfectly legitimate anger at the plight of Palestinians being manipulated. It is significant that 'Defend our Juries' aren't committing to facilitating actions similar to last weekend in the future, preferring to say that they will organise protests against the curtailment of freedom of expression. I hope they do because protesting the power of the state is a precious right in a liberal democracy, one that is in fact a bulwark against extremism. The Met, the subject of relentless criticism around under- or overreacting to public order, played the hand they were dealt with well this weekend gone. Ministers must now ensure that ordinary citizens with the most to lose understand the malign nature of the organisation they want to sacrifice their life chances for.
