Church burglar threatens to knife police officer

A Heywood church burglar threatened to stab a police officer who tried to arrest him at the weekend.

The offender managed to escape arrest and fled from St Joseph's Roman Catholic church on Mary Street with one handcuff still round his wrist.

The burglar caused significant damage to the sacristy by searching all the drawers and stealing money from the collection box.

The burglar tripped the alarm system, which triggered an automatic police response. PC Steve Mutchell, who was working as a Heywood response officer at the time, was quickly on the scene just after 8.10pm on Saturday night.

PC Mutchell approached the offender and started to arrest him but the offender resisted arrest and threatened PC Mutchell, saying he was going to stab him with a knife he was holding.

The burglar managed to break free from PC Mutchell's grip and ran out of the church and up Hind Hill Street while still partially handcuffed.

PC Mutchell was not injured during the incident but he stayed in the church believing there could be more burglars upstairs in the building.

He called for back-up and the building was surrounded but there was nobody else inside.
PC Mutchell said: "It beggars belief that someone would stoop so low as to steal from a church's collection box, and we are following several lines of inquiry to find this man.

"You never really know what will happen to you during the course of a shift, you always just try to do your job to the best of your ability. This time, this violent burglar managed to wriggle free of my grip, but I am confident that he won't be walking the streets for very long."

Parish Priest at St Joseph's, Father Paul Daly said that the burglar had caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to doors and windows.

He said: "I am saddened that once again someone is unable to respect one of Heywood’s churches, which causes great distress not just to parishioners but to all who love St. Joseph’s and a certain amount of anxiety for me personally.

"Thankfully the alarm system triggered a very rapid police response, although I was worried when I heard that one of the police officers was threatened with a knife. I am relieved that no one was injured.

"We’ve already tightened up our security on church and house.

"In this time of great economic uncertainty, with people’s concerns for themselves and their families, it is more important than ever that St. Joseph’s church stays open each day, welcoming and accessible, providing a sacred space for people with church connections and those with none, while at the same time being safe and secure.”

The offender is described as white, about 5ft 10in tall with a bald head. He was wearing a black tracksuit top at the time.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact the volume crime team in Rochdale on 0161 856 8365 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.