'We don't know if my dad's fingers were in the coffin'

Nine years after Salford's 'Mr Big' Paul Massey was gunned down on his doorstep, his family 'hope' they'll now get some answers.

His killer, Mark Fellows, who shot the 55-year-old with an Uzi sub-machine in July 2015, has been convicted for the crime. But there are still some questions for Greater Manchester Police to address - and now a coroner has demanded that the force answers them in full.

It comes after the Manchester Evening News revealed that a pre-inquest review would be held to investigate the circumstances leading to Massey's death. And at that hearing at Bolton Coroners' Court on Thursday (October 24), the family set out their concerns.

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Massey's family believe that GMP failed in its duty to warn him that his life was in danger. Police visited his home in Clifton two months before he was murdered to issue a threat-to-life notice, also known as an 'Osman' - but Massey did not answer the door.

Following an investigation, GMP said that they put the notice through the letterbox. The family, however, say that his partner Louise Lydiate was handed the letter, put it on the table and 'went back to bed' - and they believe Massey did not know anything about it.

The family, of which nine members attended the hearing in Bolton, argue that Massey would have taken measures to protect himself had he known about the notice. They cite previous such warnings he received, claiming that they led him to leave Salford for months.

But just weeks after GMP issued the notice in 2015, he was pictured at a funfair with his grandchildren, leading his family to ask: "Why would he put the kids in danger?" Four weeks later, Massey, who had links to Salford gang the A Team, was killed by a rival faction.

Nearly four years after his death, GMP claimed that Massey's fingerprints were found on the notice. The family claim it is a 'cover-up'.

Speaking at the pre-inquest review, his daughter Kelly made a 'serious allegation', referring her father having lost some of his fingers when he was shot. She said: "The police have access to my dad's fingers. We don't know if my dad's fingers were put in the coffin."

Area coroner Alan Walsh dismissed this as a 'potential conspiracy theory too far'. However, he still wants some answers from GMP.

The coroner demanded that the force explains who found the note, where it was found and what was done with it, among other questions. Mr Walsh, who is set to retire next year due to ill health, has instructed the police to respond by the end of December.

Another hearing is set to be held once the coroner receives a formal response from the police before a decision is taken as to whether a full inquest will open. It comes more than eight years after the first pre-inquest review was held into the death of Salford's 'Mr Big'.

The proceedings were held up, however, pending the prosecution and trial of Massey's killer. When a six-week trial concluded in 2019, resulting in a life sentence for Fellows, the case was brought before the coroners again - but by then, Bolton's senior coroner had died.

Mr Walsh explained that the death of Jennifer Leeming, who was the senior coroner for Manchester West, alongside the pandemic, caused further delays to the case. However, he told the family that he is determined to deal with the case before he retires in March.

He said: "They're not going to pull the wool over my eyes. From your submissions, it's clear you feel that there has been a cover-up.

He added: "I know that your efforts over this last nine years have been diligent to the memory of your father and I'm just sorry that we have to meet in these circumstances. I'm sorry it's taken so long."

Speaking to the M.E.N. after the hearing, Massey's daughter Kelly said: "I'm just grateful that the coroner has finally listened to us. I raised my concerns in 2016. It's been an absolute nightmare. It's prolonged my suffering and it's caused a lot of suffering for my family."

A GMP spokesperson said: "We are aware of the allegations made by Paul’s family in today’s hearing and we understand their ongoing pain since his death in 2015. We are fully co-operating with the coronial process and will provide all information necessary to support a full and fearless inquest into his death."