Man sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder of stranger in Davyhulme

A man has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years imprisonment after being found guilty of the attempted murder of a stranger.

Michael Canning (13/09/2000) was previously found guilty by jury on Friday December 1 2023. He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Street Court on today (Tuesday 23 January 2024).

At around 5.09pm on 19 June 2023, Canning attacked the male victim with a knife. The victim was a complete stranger who was on his way home from work.

This was a sustained attack where the victim received in excess of 30 wounds.

Canning fled the scene, passers-by called an ambulance and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment. 

An extensive investigation followed, which included meticulous review of doorbell and private CCTV footage provided by members of the public. This identified Canning as a suspect who was arrested and charged within days of the offence taking place.

DS Phill Xavier of GMP's Trafford District said: “Firstly, I would like to extend our sympathy to the victim and his family. He and his family have been supported throughout the period since the attack by specially trained officers.  

“This was a ferocious attack on an innocent man who was simply walking home from work, a journey no longer than 15 minutes and something he would do every day, except on the day of the attack, Canning was waiting for someone to hurt in an alleyway.

“After being arrested, Canning denied having anything to do with the attack. At court he claimed that he did not tell the truth in his police interview as he had not accepted what he had done. He claimed that he committed the attack because he wanted to be arrested for something.

“But Canning went out that day with a face covering, and used a convoluted route back to his home address to evade detection. I am pleased that the jury paid attention to all the evidence and have rightly found this violent offender guilty.

“Our investigators worked hard to bring Canning to justice and I hope today’s sentence goes some way to providing some solace to the victim and their family.

"GMP are taking a robust stand against knife crime and offenders - utilising covert and overt tactics to keep our communities safe. If you see something that doesn't look right, make contact with any detail on 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”