Stepson given life jail sentence for killing Geoffrey Ives in Heywood

Andrew Hall (13/01/1965) of Crown Road, Heywood was sentenced to 28 years for murder and six years for aggravated burglary yesterday (Wednesday 26 June 2024) after being found guilty following a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Our officers were called initially to reports regarding the concern for the welfare of a man on Hardfield Street in Heywood, Rochdale on the evening of Sunday 29 January 2023.

Sadly, on arrival, we found a deceased 75-year-old man who was later identified as Geoffrey Ives.

A short time after his family paid tribute, saying; "He has been there and supported us throughout our whole lives, always putting us first.

"He was a stubborn man, but there wasn't a bad bone in his body. Everyone that knew him loved him.

"He was the best Dad, Grandad, Uncle and friend to us all."

Whilst our dedicated detectives investigated, his death was later deemed suspicious with his cause of death being four stab wounds to his neck.

Working around the clock to piece together the evidence, CCTV was pulled together on the night of Geoffrey’s murder catching his final movements as well as Hall’s where he walked along Market Place before entering a pub as well as on Church Street across Heywood Civic Centre car park and then heading onto Hornby Street towards the junction of Hardfield Street.

He was seen lingering at the door of Geoffrey’s before being greeted and entering. He later left alone a short while later.

Footage then showed him walk away but turn back seconds later and go back in showing only one person this time and door remaining open. Hall then left again, walking back the way he came initially with a distinctive dark mark on the clothing of his left knee that was key in identifying his movements before and after.

As the evening went on a taxi was taken by Hall to an off licence in Middleton where further CCTV captured a conversation where he was told he had blood on the side of his face, brushing it off.

We later arrested Hall in the early hours after reports of an aggravated burglary nearby in Middleton where he breached an harassment and restraining order. This was after another harrowing ordeal where he broke the window of the property gaining entry where six children had to flee for safety upstairs barricading themselves in a bedroom before officers arrived.

The bravery shown by one of their older brothers prevented further harm as he managed to subdue Hall, who had two knives, with a set of step ladders. One of those blades having Geoffrey’s blood on from earlier in the night.

Whilst under caution he disclosed key information that would later link him to the murder. Stating that a key on his person we wouldn’t know the significance of and made several comments that the blood on him is not his blood and he wanted to settle scores.

Key statements included “I’m going to jail for life” and “I’ve done bad things”.

Senior Investigating Officer and Temporary Detective Superintendent David Moores said: “I’m pleased for Geoffrey’s loved ones we have now managed to bring them some closure and justice to this ordeal and our condolences as a force remain with them as they still come to terms with their loss.

“We’ll never really know what motivated Hall to attack Geoffrey on that night in question, but after discovering a murder scene, Hall’s blazingly disregard, and lack of care meant he kept reoffending in the local area causing a direct threat to the public.

“Thanks to a swift response to those incidents from our local officers we were able to detain him and after securing evidence from body worn video which raised suspicions as well as painstakingly tracking his movements on CCTV, we were able to prove that he was responsible for this horrific act where he took the life a much-loved family figure.”