Nearly three decades on, detectives continue to appeal for information about what happened to Paul McGrath

Detectives from our Cold Case Unit are still searching for information that could bring justice to a family who have been grieving for nearly 30 years.

A financial reward was offered in 2020 for anyone who comes forward with information that could help secure a conviction for the murder of Paul McGrath in 1997, this reward remains for anyone who can assist us. 

It was the evening of Sunday 6 April 1997 and Paul alongside some friends had gone for a drink at Dog and Partridge  pub, on Ashton Road. Afterwards, Paul went home on his own.

We believe those responsible for his death were searching for an acquaintance of Paul’s when they arrived at his home just after midnight in the early hours of Monday 7 April 1997. Sometime during the night, Paul was brutally attacked and suffered 18 stab wounds in what we believe was a frenzied and targeted attack.

At around 7.30am the following morning, the 34-year-old’s body was found at the foot of the stairs of his home on Holland Street West, Denton, after a workman who was walking past his home found the door slightly open and saw Paul lying dead just inside the hallway.

Two men were arrested within two weeks of the murder before going on trial in March 1998. Both men were acquitted following a lengthy trial.

Paul was well-liked and respected in the community, and through investigations over the years, we established that he had no known grievances, we believe he was targeted due to one of his acquaintances who was involved in an ongoing dispute.

Detective Constable Matthew Sharkey from GMP’s Cold Case Unit, said: “We know there are people out there who are able to tell us what they know and what they saw all those years ago.

“Although it was nearly 30 years ago, you can’t just forget what you saw, it will be playing on the mind of someone who knows something, and I hope their conscience will allow them to speak to us after all this time – please come and tell us the truth. Your information could help a grieving family know what happened to their beloved son and it is never too late to come forwards.

“All of the work we are doing is to get Vera, Paul’s mother, to finally see her son’s killer or killers brought to justice and help a family finally come to terms with the death of their loved one.

Paul’s sister Gillian is continuing to urge people for their information, not just for her but also for her elderly mother Vera who is 85 years old.

She said: “I saw my mum bury her son and it was the worst thing in the world to witness. My mum, along with the rest of our family, goes to Paul’s grave to lay flowers on his birthday every year and we have done this for the last 27 years. We just wish that we knew exactly what happened to our Paul and see those who brutally killed him to be brought to justice.”

The £50,000 reward is still on offer for anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for the death of Paul McGrath in 1997. Information will be dealt in the strictest confidence.

Anyone with information should contact GMP’s Cold Case Review Unit direct on 0161 856 5978 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.