Grandmother killed after being stabbed in the chest as she raided man’s home ‘to collect a debt’

A grandmother was stabbed to death by a man whose home she raided as he tried to fend off an attack.

Debbie Twist, 47, was stabbed in the chest when she burst into the property with her son and another man. The three, wearing masks and armed with weapons including an ‘airgun’, had raided the home to collect a debt for Debbie’s daughter Bethany, the MEN reports.

The gang descended on the house in Leigh on the evening of March 17, 2019. Debbie suffered ‘a single stab wound’ and died from her injury in hospital that same day.

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An inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court this week heard that on the afternoon of March 17, Debbie’s daughter Bethany said she, her mother and others had gone out to celebrate her brother Jordan Winstanley’s birthday at the Canal Turn pub in Leigh. After enjoying a few drinks, they headed to a nearby bar before returning home at about 6pm.

Bethany said she had arranged to visit a man to collect a debt he owed, but her mother said she would go and retrieve the money instead. The inquest heard that Debbie and others first visited the man’s address at 7pm but returned home after knocking and receiving no response. Debbie then went back to the house along with Winstanley and another man, Robbie Arnold, later that evening.

Cole Dunphy told the inquest he drove the group to the property after Arnold asked him for a lift. When he arrived at Ms Twist’s home in Devon Street, he said Arnold was wearing a balaclava on and carrying a ‘large airgun’. He said he assumed the group also had knives as he heard Arnold say he would stab ‘anyone who gets in the way’. Mr Dunphy said Arnold ordered him to take the group to the house in Manchester Road, where they were going to ‘rob a cannabis grow’.

He said he agreed as he was ‘scared’ he may get stabbed if he refused. Mr Dunphy said he waited in his car while Ms Twist, Arnold and Winstanley approached the property.

When they again received no response at the address, the group made their way to the back of the property. Mr Dunphy told the inquest he then heard a door being kicked in, as well as a number of bangs and some shouting. A man then came out of the property shouting “they’ve killed her, they’ve killed her”, he said.

After being stabbed in the chest by the homeowner – who was the father of the man who allegedly owed the debt – Ms Twist collapsed at the scene.

Bethany Twist arrived at the property after hearing her mother had been stabbed and found her lying on the ground. “There was blood everywhere,” she added. “Mum wasn’t moving talking or breathing.”

Paramedics attended and Ms Twist was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where she was pronounced dead later that evening.

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