A nurse ordered car wash workers to clean their Mercedes of blood after their son blew a love rival in the leg with a shotgun.
Patricia Dean, 59, was found guilty of helping a perpetrator in Bolton Crown Court for 18 months.
Prosecutor Philip Barnes told the court that Dean’s son Vincenzo De Falco shot his victim in Rochdale on January 21, 2019.
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De Falco was later convicted of willful assault.
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The court heard that the victim was previously in a relationship with De Falco’s girlfriend, Lucy Flux, and that the couple had texted De Falco over the New Year period.
On the afternoon of the shooting, the victim had traveled from Ashton-under-Lyne to Rochdale to buy cannabis from De Falco.
The victim got into the Mercedes-Benz C-Class driven by De Falco.
The car was leased to Dean through the NHS, and she allowed her son to drive it when he needed, the court heard.
In the car, De Falco confronted the victim with his contact with Ms. Flux and shouted: “You think I’m some kind of muppet”.
Police cordon on Knowsley Street on Monday afternoon, January 21, 2019, following a shooting
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The victim assured De Falco that he was only friends with Ms. Flux and that there was nothing to worry about.
De Falco then said, “You want to be shot” and the victim noticed that a shotgun was aimed at him.
He grabbed the barrel of the gun to turn it away from him and shortly afterwards De Falco told another man to let the victim out of the car.
As he shuffled across the back seat to leave, De Falco shot the victim at close range in the leg. The man was then thrown from the car onto the sidewalk on Knowsley Street, where passers-by called an ambulance.
Dean had been working at North Manchester General Hospital on the day of the shooting and had only recently got back to her home in Sowery Bridge, Yorkshire when she received a call from Mrs. Flux.
Dean immediately left her home to drive her other car – a BMW – to Ms. Flux’s house in Bacup, Lancashire.
They spent about 20 minutes in the house before Mrs. Flux and Dean drove off in one car while De Falco and a man named Gary Crawford drove off in another.
Later that night, De Falco and Dean both drove in separate cars on the same route while they were on the phone.
The court heard that they were traveling from Whitworth to Rochdale and then to Middleton.
Dean finally got home around 10pm and texted De Falco to “get some sleep”.
Police at the scene
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The next day Dean drove the Mercedes to a hand wash facility in Bury New Road, Heywood.
Mr Barnes told the court that she spent £ 50 on in-house and off-site valet parking – with three car wash workers spending over an hour cleaning the car.
Dean repeatedly inspected the car and asked the workers to “clean the back seat more”.
She then drove it to her sister’s house and parked it outside.
Police at the scene on January 21, 2019
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The following day, January 23, police stopped Dean’s BMW in Middleton. De Falco was also in the car and both were arrested.
During the inspection of the Mercedes, traces of blood of the victim were found on the door and doormat.
During her interview, Dean of Kebroyd Lane denied knowing anything about De Falco’s act and made no mention of traveling to Bacup.
She told police that the car had not been washed since the weekend before the shooting, but her drive to the Heywood car wash was captured by CCTV.
After the shooting and several operations, the victim’s left leg had to be amputated below the knee.
He had to move out of his upstairs apartment and now lives on the first floor of a family member who had to remodel his home for his injuries.
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William Donnelly defended himself and told the court that Dean was a woman of “impeccable character”.
She worked as a nurse for over 25 years and former colleagues described her as “dedicated,” “honest,” “caring,” “reliable” and “compassionate” in character references heard in court.
“She has many years of experience in foster care and provides a safe environment for children in need,” Donnelly told the court.
Mr Donnelly said Dean continued to work as a nurse on bail during the pandemic but recently found out she lost her job and will lose her pension.
Bolton Crown Court
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
She also takes care of her mother, who has dementia, added Mr Donnelly.
Mr Donnelly also told the court that the shotgun used in the incident was never found, but Dean is not accused of having anything to do with it.
Judge Tom Gilbart referred to Dean’s former good character when pronouncing the verdict.
He put her in jail for 18 months and said, “It is absolutely puzzling that a woman with such a history of care and public service would throw everything away this way.
“It really is a waste to see you in the dock.
“You continued to deny the crime when you discussed the matter with the probation authority. They said to the author of the report, ‘I am not sorry for what I was sentenced for not doing it’. “
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