Who were Christopher Hughes and Neri Morse and how did they die?
CHANNEL 4’s gripping new series Manhunt takes you right into the action with specialist police teams tackling high-stake manhunts.
The show delves into the tragic and senseless murders of Christopher Hughes and Neri Morse.
Who was Christopher Hughes?
Christopher Hughes, 37, was found dead on February 22, 2022, near a road in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.
He was spotted being spotted being forced into a car, then disappeared without a trace.
He had been wrongly accused of the knifepoint rape of a teenage girl.
He was brutally stabbed more than 90 times after being snatched off the street.
Greater Manchester Police revealed that DNA evidence from the sexual offence investigation did not match Christopher, but the men behind this horrific act “took the law into their own hands”.
According to police, the group, who “all knew each other or were related,” began searching Wigan on February 17, 2022.
They even broke into Christopher’s home before their hunt “continued the following day until Christopher was abducted in broad daylight”.
Christopher was spotted in Wigan’s Almond Grove on February 18, 2022, where Curtis Balbas and Erland Spahiu forced him into a car boot.
He was then driven at high speed to White Moss Road South in Skelmersdale, where he was “brutally attacked and killed in act of retribution.”
Prosecutor John Elvidge KC said that on the evening of the killing, Dean O’Neill Davey, Andrius Uzkuraitis, Spahiu, and his visiting cousin, Erion Voja, attempted to hide Christopher’s body.
They tried to bury him on wasteland but were interrupted by police investigating a nearby road traffic accident.
In their efforts to cover their tracks, the gang destroyed CCTV, changed phones, deleted messages, and disposed of the car used in the abduction.
Unable to complete the burial, they abandoned his body, which was discovered four days later at the foot of an embankment by a dog walker.
What happened to Christopher Hughes’ killers?
In February 2023, the eight members of a vigilante gang received life sentences for their roles in the abduction and brutal murder of Christopher.
Together, their minimum sentences added up to a massive total of 229 years.
During sentencing, Mr Justice Wall described the crime as “brutal and, in part, sadistic,” highlighting the victim’s suffering from at least 90 stab and slash wounds.
Addressing the defendants, he said, “It was a murder which was designed to obstruct or interfere with the course of justice. The starting point for sentence is therefore 30 years.”
The judge made it clear that he believed three of the men – Curtis Balbas, Erland Spahiu, and Martin Smith – intended for Christopher to die.
What they did was nothing short of atrocious
Detective Inspector Heidi Cullum
Balbas, 30, a Kurdish Iraqi from Matheson Drive, Worsley Hall, was ordered to serve a minimum of 34 years.
He pleaded guilty to both kidnap and murder, while the others were convicted after a trial.
Spahiu, an Albanian, was sentenced to 35 years, while 34-year-old Smith, from Greenwood Avenue, was given 33 years.
The remaining five defendants were sentenced on the basis that they intended to cause grievous bodily harm.
Alan Jaf, 52, of Ridyard Street, and Khalil Awla, 48, of Greenwood Avenue, were both handed minimum terms of 26 years.
They had owned and run M6 Motors in Wigan, where the Audi used in the crime was taken and destroyed.
Both men were married to sisters of Balbas.
O’Neill-Davey, 30, of Conrad Close, was given at least 25 years in prison, while 21-year-old Erion Voja, from Peall Road, Croydon, was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years.
Another defendant, 27-year-old Lithuanian Andrius Uzkuraitis, of Holly Road, Worsley Hall, was cleared of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm but was convicted of assisting an offender.
He was sentenced to six years.
Detective Inspector Heidi Cullum from GMP’s Major Incident Team condemned the gang’s actions, saying, “What they did in February last year was nothing short of atrocious.
“We only hope the verdict and sentences brings some justice and comfort to his family and friends.”
Christopher’s family also added their own tribute. They said: “We would like to thank sincerely the officers of Greater Manchester Police and the North West Crown Prosecution Service for their hard work on this case over the past number of months.
“We are pleased that justice has finally been done.
“It will not bring Christopher back, but he will live on in our hearts forever and the memories of him we will hold dearly.”
Who was Neri Morse?
Neri Morse was a 24-year-old who was fatally stabbed during a dispute at a convenience store.
He was described by his family as the “baby of the family” and was a young dad at the time of his murder.
His family released a statement following his death reading: “Our family cannot describe what losing our Neri has done to us. Only God will know how much this is breaking our hearts.
“Our brother was the baby of the family and definitely Mum’s favourite. He is loved by his partner, his brother and sister, his niece and nephew, his uncle, cousins and his nan.
“He was the most amazing and loving father to his four-month-old son Nakari and showed him the most amount of love in the short time they had together.
“We will always be immensely proud of how he took to daddy duties.
“We as a family are overwhelmed and truly humbled by the sheer volume of messages and support from the community expressing their love and support. It just emphasises how truly loved Neri was.
“It’s going to take our family quite some time to come to terms with losing Neri so suddenly and in such horrific circumstances — if we ever do….
“We were blessed with 24 years of you — all we have left are the videos, pictures and memories.
We love you forever, we are your keepers and we are so sorry we were not there to protect you.
“Sleep easy Baby Brother.”
The crime took place on Pollard Street in Ancoats at around 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
What happened to Neri Morse’s killers?
Two individuals were convicted for Neri Morse’s murder.
Rushaun Brown, 24 received a life sentence with a minimum of 23 years behind bars.
Meshia Newby, also 24, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
How to watch Manhunt?
Manhunt is a Channel 4 documentary series following specialist police.
In the first episode of season one, DI Justin Bryant and his team pull out all the stops, piecing together CCTV footage, sending officers across the city, and following every lead in a frantic race to find Christopher.
The clock starts ticking when Greater Manchester Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Group gets a chilling 999 call.
A concerned citizen reports seeing a man being forced into a car in Wigan, setting off a desperate search.
Manhunt begins Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 9pm on Channel 4.