Tributes pour in for ‘loved and devoted family man' who died while ‘trying to stop car thieves taking his Land Rover’
18 March 2024, 17:08
Tributes have been pouring in for a "loved and devoted family man" who died while "trying to stop car thieves from taking his Land Rover".
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Christopher Hanley, 57, was killed on Saturday 16 March, on Olympic Street, Beswick, in Greater Manchester.
The 57-year-old died after being found unresponsive on Olympic Street in the Beswick area just before 11am on Saturday.
Paying tribute to him, Mr Hanley's family said: “As a family we are heartbroken and shocked at the sudden loss of Chris. A loved and devoted family man who adored his grandchildren, tragically and unfairly, taken way too soon.
“At this time, we as a family ask for privacy to show respect for Chris and his memory.”
Greater Manchester Police said initial enquiries indicate Mr Hanley was killed whilst trying to stop his car from being stolen.
A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and a 43-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain in custody.
Local residents said they were first alerted by a car revving its engine before emergency services arrived on the scene.
"All I heard was a car revving," said one anonymous local resident.
He added: "That's what woke me up. I looked out the window shortly afterwards and saw some police cars go past followed by an ambulance. The street was full of blue lights.
"One of the people who responded first, she was an off-duty nurse, she was the first person there and may have called the police.
"It has been a bit of a shock, but no-one knows who he was, so we are all in the dark. It's not like you know one of your neighbours and he has been killed. We don't know who he was or if he was local.
"It's a quiet residential area, we have a few Air BnB's in the area, making it quite noisy on a Saturday night, but I've been here since 2007 and it's been quiet and no incidents like this."
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith said: "At the centre of this investigation is a grieving family, who we will do all we can to get answers for.
"Our investigation is moving at pace, and I have a team of detectives who continue to work relentlessly to capture a picture of what happened in the events leading up to this incident."
Anyone with any information is urged to contact the force.
