Murder victim's gun threat drama

An ambulanceman had a gun pointed at his head as he tried to treat Angela, who was lying on the floor of her Park Road bedsit bleeding profusely from wrist wounds.

As paramedic Mark Healey and student paramedic Jason Herd tried to stem the bleeding, a man pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at Mark's head.

The man, in his forties, began waving the gun around and police were called in. They persuaded the man to hand over the weapon, which turned out to be a realistic immitation. A man was arrested and later appeared in court charged with affray. He is still awaiting Crown Court trial after Bolton Magistrates decided the charge was too serious for them to deal with.

Angela, the mother of a 15-year-old girl, had needed medical treatment several times since moving to the Park Road address about three months ago.

Neighbours said she had suffered depression and had a drink problem after being injured when she was involved in an accident with a car several years ago.

When the body was found in the Egerton lay-by, police who were trying to identify her confirmed that there had been major surgery on her lower left leg and skin grafts had been taken from her thigh. She also had wrist scars.

Neighbours said there had been no sign of Angela for well over a week before her body was found.

One neighbour, Mr John Harrison, 40, said: "I saw her 10 days ago when I bought her some gas meter tokens. She seemed fine at the time."

He said Angela was unemployed but had ambitions to launch a career as a singer.

It was Mr Harrison who wrapped towels around Angela's wrists and called an ambulance after she had slashed her wrists last autumn. Former boyfriend Steven Penn, 36, said: "She was a very friendly girl who would talk to anyone." He said he last saw her on January 2 when they had a couple of New Year drinks together.

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