A fugitive who was previously one of the UK’s most wanted criminals has been jailed for 30 years for his part in the murder of a father of two.
Father-of-two Luke Graham - nicknamed 'Tank' - was ambushed and shot dead in broad daylight in Ashton-under-Lyne in June 2018 as children played nearby.
Wade Cox was previously ordered to serve life in prison with at least 36 years in jail after being convicted of murder in 2019.
Now Callum Halpin, 28, will join him behind bars after he was found guilty under joint enterprise laws after he shut the door of the van Mr Graham was sat in when he was shot, to prevent him from escaping.
Halpin also took the gun off Cox after the murder and helped arrange an Audi which the pair had arrived in to be burnt out.
After the killing Halpin fled the country and became one of the UK's most wanted men, spending almost four years on the run.
He was eventually caught in May last year in Portugal at an address near Vilamoura in the Algarve and returned to the UK to face justice.
Detective Inspector Lee Barrow, from Greater Manchester Police's City of Manchester CID, oversaw the original investigation in 2019.
He said: "Halpin is a very dangerous individual who has finally been brought to justice.
“The murder was carried out on a residential street with children having to run to cover.
"Halpin had been on the run since Luke was fatally shot on that tragic day and it has been our intention ever since to ensure all those suspected of being responsible for his death are caught and prosecuted.
“I want to thank partners from the National Crime Agency for their work in arresting Halpin and I know this will send a strong message that we are totally committed to working with law enforcement agencies across the world to ensure those wanted are caught wherever they try to hide, and ultimately face the serious charges they are accused of."
The Manchester Evening News reported the trial had heard the murder was part of a drugs turf war.
Prosecutor Richard Pratt KC said: "It may well be the activities of Luke Graham and Anton Verigotta as rival drug dealers to Wade Cox and his associates provides some explanation for the extreme hostility that appears to lay behind this shooting."
Mr Graham and his associate, Mr Verigotta, had both been in Ashton-under-Lyne on the afternoon of June 13. Mr Verigotta had been to a 'crack house' on Birch Street, several times that day to supply drugs.
On his last visit, at around 4.40pm, Mr Graham was with him. Soon after they left, one of the occupants of the house said three 'boys' wearing balaclavas entered. One said of Mr Verigotta 'get him back here now'.
As the man inside the house 'did as he was told' and made the call, one of the three men said: ''No funny business or I'll put you one in your leg, just make the phone call."
CCTV footage showed a silver Audi containing Cox, a second man, and Halpin, arriving on Birch Street at 4.45pm with all three men going into the property.
Minutes later, a van being driven by Mr Verigotta with Mr Graham in the passenger seat arrived. Cox emerged from the house and fired his gun through the van's passenger window, hitting Mr Graham to the shoulder. The gunshot proved fatal.
Cox also fired shots at Mr Verigotta, who was blasted in the leg as he 'ran for his life'.
After Halpin emerged from the house, Halpin stopped Mr Graham from escaping from the van.
Mr Graham's family paid tribute to him, saying: "Luke was a loving son, dad and brother, who was always there for his family and friends.
"He was the type of person who would go out of his way to help others and now we are broken as a family. We can’t believe that he’s gone and that he has been taken from us in such a horrific and cowardly act of violence.
"Losing Luke has devastated me as a father, and I wouldn’t want any other parent or family to go through the hell that I am living in at the moment."
