Climbing through back gardens and walking down alleyways away from the glare of CCTV cameras, Direece Roche thought he was committing the perfect crime.
On foot, he took hours making the mile-long journey from his home in Longsight, to the location of his target in Fallowfield. Wearing dark clothes, gloves and a balaclava, he did everything he could to stay unidentified, off the radar.
It was only an 'outstanding' piece of police work, and a slip up from Roche, that ultimately led to him being handed a rare whole life order and being told he will never be eligible for parole.
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Roche was on his way to murder Fintan McDwyer, in footage released by Greater Manchester Police after a sentencing hearing today (Friday, September 19) at Manchester Crown Court.
When he finally arrived at Mr McDwyer's home, just after 3am, he tried to gain entry through windows on the ground floor. Unsuccessful, he found a ladder from a nearby home and used it to climb through an open bedroom window, where 64-year-old Mr McDwyer lay soundly asleep.
He was woken in the early hours of June 30 last year to find Roche with a knife, brutally attacking him. A struggle lasted for about 90 seconds. He was stabbed 77 times. Mr McDwyer, a retired grandad who had difficulty getting out of bed due to a back problem, stood no chance.
His body lay on his bed until two days later, when his adult son, who had been away with his girlfriend, returned home. With a murderer on the loose, a huge investigation was launched. Just as he had arrived, Roche carefully travelled from back garden to back garden, aiming to stay away from CCTV cameras.
He was caught on camera the day after walking to the shop, as if nothing had happened. Police also discovered chilling footage of Roche in his house after the murder, on a camera set up to allow Mr McDwyer to check on his beloved pet dog while he was out.
But what happened in the garden of a house on nearby Lloyd Street South as he carefully fled the murder scene would come back to haunt him. On July 4, crime scene investigators carrying a 'shoulder to shoulder' search discovered a torch which Roche had dropped on his return home.
It contained both his and Mr McDwyer's DNA. A small smear of blood was found on a concrete post, which also contained both their DNA. "Without this outstanding police work, the defendant would not have been apprehended," prosecutor Bill Baker KC said. Roche was arrested on July 6. The motive for the killing remains unclear, the sentencing judge said.
Mr McDwyer was Roche's great uncle. In court, Roche claimed Mr McDwyer had sexually abused him as a child. But a jury rejected his case and he was found guilty of murder.
Sentencing him, Mr Justice Bright told Roche: "It is right that I say publicly that it seems extremely unlikely what you said was accurate." He described Mr McDwyer as an 'entirely innocent person'.
Describing the murder as 'premeditated with significant planning', the judge told Roche: "My clear impression is that you have no remorse or regret of any kind."
It was the second murder which Roche had committed. He was just 16 when he murdered 23-year-old Adam Steele in Salford. He knifed Mr Steele on New Year's Day in 2011 after a row in the street.
Roche was handed a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 12 years. He killed Mr McDwyer about nine months after being released from that life sentence.
Now Roche, 31, has been sentenced to a whole life order, meaning he will never be eligible for parole. He is now among the less than 100 prisoners, among a prison population of about 80,000, serving the rare punishment.
Notorious criminals currently serving such sentences include baby killer Lucy Letby, Mark 'The Iceman' Fellows and former police officer Wayne Couzens.
After the hearing, Detective Inspector Lee Shaw, of GMP, said: "Today brings justice for the family of Fintan McDwyer, whose family described him as a 'gentle giant, denied years to be with his sons and grandchildren'.
"Fintan's family have shown incredible strength over the past year throughout the investigation and subsequent court case. I hope that today's outcome will bring some form of closure to them, after what has been a terrible time since his murder last July.
"Direece Roche, who committed this horrific and unprovoked attack, has today been handed a whole life term for his actions, and will never be released from prison. It is rare to see sentences of this magnitude, but I believe it reflects the danger Roche poses to society, particularly given he was previously convicted for stabbing a man to death when he was 16 years of age, in 2011.
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"The investigation team worked tirelessly to piece together evidence and build a thorough timeline of events which led to the identification of Direece Roche as the person responsible for his great uncle, Fintan's, death.
"Roche entered Fintan McDwyer's house and was captured on a camera Fintan had set up to monitor his beloved pet dog, Sammy. In interview, Roche said he intended to steal Sammy and not kill Fintan, but ultimately our investigation and the court determined Fintan's death to have been a deliberate and brutal act of murder.
"Fintan did not deserve to die in this way, and he will be remembered by his family and loved ones as a true gentleman, with a wonderful sense of humour and a calm and reassuring presence.
"This case is yet another reminder of the devastating impact picking up a knife can have on all of those involved. I hope that Fintan's family can now focus on healing together, knowing that Direece Roche will never walk the streets of Manchester again."