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The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight

October 11, 2023 / 44:05

This episode covers the tragic story of Michael Hooligan, who was fatally stabbed while trying to protect a woman outside the Friendship Inn in Middleton, Manchester. Key discussions include the circumstances leading to the attack, the impact on Michael's family, and the subsequent investigation and trial of his attacker, Timothy Deakin.

Michael Hooligan, described as a hard worker and a loving father, was killed on October 14, 2016, after intervening in a domestic dispute. His mother, Leslie, and father, Gary, share their memories of him and the devastating moment they learned of his death.

The episode details the chaotic scene outside the pub and the emergency response that followed. Michael suffered five stab wounds, with the most severe being to his chest. His family recounts their harrowing experience at the hospital and the difficult decision to turn off his life support.

Timothy Deakin, the man responsible for Michael's death, was arrested and charged with murder. The episode highlights the investigation that led to his capture and the trial where he claimed self-defense. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage played a crucial role in the case.

The episode concludes with reflections on the impact of Michael's murder on his family and community, as well as discussions about the failures of the probation system that allowed Deakin to be on the streets.

TLDR

Michael Hooligan was murdered protecting a woman; his family shares their grief and the story of his attacker Timothy Deakin's trial.

Episode

44:05
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yes [Music] it's got the same smell on the other on everyone and so Michael was a lovely lat and he would do
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anything to help anybody Michael's future I think would have been a bright one because he was a hard
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worker aren't you in good morning and I think he would have settled down and
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been successful and yet there was this chance meeting this twist of fate this decision that he
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took to drink in a pub that he didn't ordinarily drink in that effectively changed the course of everybody's life
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and lay down in McDonald's at the side of me back phone goals June it's been stabbed well
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I don't watch him well I just I was just fancy Michael had five stab wounds tragically
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one to his chest which would prove to be the one that caused the most damage you'd expect your Mountain dance to go
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before anyone and to see you soon in this way you just go what is going on here this is not real
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we're living in a false Royal day this isn't really happening so are we not to give me babe but don't stop me
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baby away from me his only crime if there ever there was one was doing the right thing to stop
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someone else from being injured getting stamped some days ago I think has that really
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happened to us it really happened to us it well yeah [Music] thank you foreign [Music]
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we've got a big family there's myself gas Anthony Christopher Gary and Michael
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Michael being the baby the youngest one I think he was born about 25 past 11 in the morning
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and pops out a beautiful baby bye that's the one yeah a couple of hours old yep
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little Sumo the big ladder on there yeah it was it was a 10 pounder weren't you
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it was nearly 10 pound bar [Music] I don't like to think that we've been
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we've been a family of people look up to and I really mean that my intros are very popular a lot it was
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a very likable lad like I say the community said he he played football he mixed them out with everyone he lived
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with his Michael but he stayed with friends as well you know his friends have said oh lesla
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he was the life and soul of the party or Michael no matter where we went it was a funny laugh my equally lost he
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had a great sense of humor since the clock had come and it come to that window it was a big year in it he'd
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go mum what we don't for tea you know oh if me and gas was going so much sweet
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he'd Go Mama I'm coming you know I've got Romania now while I'm coming and I'm
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going to bring Garden out I'm going to bring such back here go on then a lot of my boys work together because
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one's a plasterer one's a kitchen fitter and noodles with tails my other son Christopher taught Michael
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on as an apprentice to Tyler and it you know it turned out to be quite good at that
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[Music] he was tiling my bathroom upstairs and my wife Leslie said to me okay we could do the new bath so I said
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there's nothing wrong with the math what you're talking about oh you do so we went out when we come back Michael
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had very conveniently I dropped a tail through the bath we tell his mum and says you've got your
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new bath now and that was Michael he loved his mother everybody loved it you know it was a
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character but he was a nice kid they worked hard and I'm very proud of him Michael come on one day he said it's his
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mother first and girlfriend's having a baby [Music] that's a fantastic memory for me because
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it was an happy memory and a nappy memory for Michael and he was Soul made up by Michael so made up
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Alice was born the 13th of April 2012. okay occasion never forget it bright redhead I was there Min Michael was
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there at the hospital with Alice when Alice was being born and we're both there and we're both
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crying all that moment to see his face when he was delivered it was amazing okay that lovely son loved him spent a
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lot of time with him I think his future was to you know settle down and just get on my life and look after his
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son [Music] I've been to work and he came home and he said I'm going out and I went right
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that's fine let me know if you're coming on because sometimes they'd stay with
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his mates that one decision that Michael talk that day was going to cost him his life and was going to turn
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the lives of everyone who knew and loved him completely upside down [Music] at night but I heard all the sirens and
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helicopters and I don't think you know I hope my all my lights at all all right because I don't
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know whether they've all gone out or what they've done and proper panicking
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really you know [Music] on the Friday the 14th of October 2016 just around half past 11. a number of
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calls I'm not mistaken were placed through the Emergency Services through to the ambulance service and the police
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were dispatched get as quickly as possible to the Friendship him so when officers had arrived there it
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was a scene of chaos and didn't disturbance as you can imagine people were very upset
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but amidst this there was one young man there being stabbed very seriously we was in the Houston room we're not
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going out we was in bed and we got a phone call for a girl who we knew islia I'm an area
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no what Michael has been stopped outside the the Friendship Pub where we jumped out back you know we
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never moved as quick and I was just trying to kind of I can't really remember what I was thinking or
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what I want thinking I just knew I had to get to that hospital because I had to see if I had to make sure he was all
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right Michael was clearly losing blood and a lot of blood particularly from his his
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chest he he's his chest wound it would have been very difficult for the police
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to interpret precisely at that stage how many stab wounds were dealing with [Music]
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I was like why and we knew something was seriously wrong but that Journey was it's the worst
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Journey I've ever had I'm just thinking of it they stabbed him if they just stabbed him in the armor or
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I didn't know where where I just didn't know what we've seen in the hospital was
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playing all we wanted to do was see Michael we just wait to see we expected him to be
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awake [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] at the initial phase prior to the individual passing away uh was an
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attempted murder the severity was the highest level really [Music] Middleton is on the edge of the city of
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Manchester it's uh it's a small area which is part of a town called Rochdale
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and there's quite a high concentration of pubs [Music] the Friendship Inn is of particular
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interest because in the previous years there had been a number of violent incidents there the pub already had a
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reputation uh being um about a a dangerous place to go if you weren't a local
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[Music] in some murder cases of course it's unknown it's it's a chance encounter or
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a premeditated encounter and and the police had the work cut out in terms of determining who that that could be in
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this particular case because of local rebelism because the people that actually seen or unfolded before their
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very eyes we knew almost from the offset um who was responsible likely responsible for this attack
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[Music] all police were able to build up a picture from the number of people that were
00:11:55
outside the pub the attacker was a man called Timothy deakin we knew that he had
00:12:01
departed Manchester he'd looked to escape Justice almost from the offset but once we knew who he was we know we
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were determined to catch him we not heard of him ever you know when we found out his name never heard of him
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who is it [Music] I just I don't know what I was thinking but I weren't I weren't thinking that it was that it
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was that critical because they put him in a reduced coma and I didn't know that
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whether they did sell Rihanna and it had not gone in I don't know because I can't
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really I was in a bit of a state to say the least you know um I don't really know whether they told
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me or they didn't can't remember to be fair it was there three days at the hospital
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we didn't know what was going on we were watching him and he it was horrible to
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see a lot he was full of life to him asleep Gary and Leslie hooligan were in bed
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middle of the night when they received a phone call that their son had been stabbed and was in the hospital and they
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knew that Michael was not a troublemaker he was a good kid he was smart so you can imagine the fear and panic
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they had why in the world would he have been in the situation that he was harmed
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like this what could have gone wrong and what was going to happen next you can pull through this he had a big
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stop in London you can pull through this and we spent on three days [Music] we knew we knew if anyone's going to
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pull to it'd be Michael [Music] I was working for a regional television station and it was a Saturday morning
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that morning we had a series of emails from all the regional police forces and one of them came from greater Manchester
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police that said that being is stabbing outside of a pub in Middleton um called the Friendship Inn
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the police approached us and asked us to put out witness appeals on the evening bulletins for Timothy deakin in a bid
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for them to track this person down who'd effectively run away from the scene and
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was fleeing Justice this was a Manhunt foreign [Music] wasn't from Middleton Michael didn't
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know him at all we know that never heard of him Milan's had never heard of him
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you know seeing a family devastated and broken desperate for any glimmer of hope
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that their loved one could could turn around despite the medical medical sort of diagnosis here
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um you know it's really it really affects you when you see that you can't
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help with The Human Side get close to to wanting to see Justice for the hooligan family
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Timothy deakin was already a number of steps ahead because natural he knew what he'd done before we even knew he was but
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sadly at that particular time Michael was in an extremely poorly way Michael he'd gone out
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to a place he never went to funny enough he never went in the pond the friendship
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there was CCTV at the pub that everyone had been in so that was vital because we're able to build up an understanding
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of what's taking place we're able to understand who was wearing what who was
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stood with whom how the sequencing had unfolded and and the camera doesn't lie
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and an argument had broken out between two drunken groups in the back room that Michael uh
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had The Misfortune of sitting in to have his drink the Catalyst for Deacon being
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called was nothing more than his girlfriend being out with his sister and his girlfriend believing she overheard a
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disparaging comment that was made towards her nothing more than that Deacon had been drinking at the summit
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which was a pub not far away and one of the grew had effectively reached out to Tim Deacon and said yes sister's a mess
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could you come and get a home please he had been told by his girlfriend that a group of lads had said disparaging
00:17:13
things towards her that his sister had abandoned her that hadn't come outside
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and left her on her own Deacon came in he went out outside with his drunk sister
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to get her a cab to take her home one of the regulars who'd been outside having a cigarette came in to say
00:17:36
there's a bloke outside who's who's battering a woman and Michael being
00:17:40
Michael stepped up and went outside and you can see just from the edge of the CCTV that it is at that point when he
00:17:51
steps outside that Timothy deakin beat dexa and he knocks a spark out and at that point the cab rocks up and he's
00:18:01
dragging her by her hair into the cap Michael was the first to approach Deacon and try and stop him attacking
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his own sister and at that point Michael stepped in and effectively said what are you doing you
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don't treat women like that and in a very very short space of Time Michael was stabbed five times with the
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Loch knife it was crucial that we told the family this as difficult a piece of news as
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that might be it was in the poor man his own business having a drink someone shouted out and girls being beat
00:18:45
up outside and Michael he's been brawl that you don't disrespect women you look
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you're looking and he's been broken that way victims of something like a stabbing
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tend to fall into two categories they're either connected to the criminal underworld like they might have ties
00:19:03
with certain gangs and they might get to fights relatively regularly but on the other hand you have people like Michael
00:19:09
who are just at the wrong place at the wrong time in a context like trying to stand up for somebody else that they
00:19:15
don't even know just a crazy situation it's one that we wish everyone you know we wouldn't have
00:19:26
been in at all you know before you knew it news travel fast told us we know who's done it you know I
00:19:34
was more afraid of him sort of escaping and getting out of the country or something you know because we knew that
00:19:39
Milan was in a bad way but that was all in a room one day [ __ ] it's not working the treatment we're
00:19:54
giving him there's nothing else we couldn't do and I just sat there no normally even with my
00:20:01
please don't see that don't say that don't say that [Music] just turn everything off and it's
00:20:11
pronounced dead is the worst [Music] oh bear with us the most news you could ever be told
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believe me losing him was the worst day of my life because you'd always bet your children's
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school before you do you know it was horrible and I just remember if we make [Music]
00:20:51
near the tear coming down his cheek and it just took me I done this just to give him a
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big hook [Music] oh you can't describe it see you soon asleep in hospital and you can
00:21:17
you can't speak to him because he's not there the parents of Michael hooligan had to
00:21:23
take that horrific decision to switch the life support machine off which instantly moved this from a serious
00:21:31
wounding actual bodily harm into a whole different category this was now a murder
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Michael's homicide had a full investigative team that were going to work around the clock
00:21:46
and do everything they possibly could catch Michael's killer [Music] and looking at the nature of this
00:21:58
particular crime would give any investigative experience the impression that it had been
00:22:04
committed by a man who was no stranger to violence well I was flying to death I think if
00:22:15
you like to know what goes through your head when you don't realize stupid [Music]
00:22:25
the third wife they don't find him foreign Against Time from the moment we have a
00:22:41
suspect an identify and suspect we know there is a chance that with every passing hour day week that we see a
00:22:49
deterioration of the evidence as well as the deliberate disposal of evidence here you had a violent offender who had
00:22:55
gone on the wrong this was someone who was prepared to use violence and a knife so it was crucial to the police that we
00:23:05
apprehended him as quickly as we possibly could 15th of August 1989. that's an absolute beautiful
00:23:17
picture [Music] really nice [Music] my family means the wheels to me for everything to me so yeah we had it was
00:23:32
you know we had a nice life [Music] all right the week before it happened we was I was
00:23:43
getting ready to go out on a Friday night and I was getting ready in my bedroom and Michael was getting a DNA's
00:23:48
bedroom and I had the radio on and Andy Williams came on singing you're just too good to be true so I'm thinking
00:23:58
at the top of my voice because I think I can sing even though I can and he comes
00:24:02
off the landing doing this dressed in a dead smart blue shirt and jeans [Music] it was just such a sweet memory you know
00:24:14
just just wish I could have more of it just wish I could I just really wish I could just put my
00:24:22
arms around him and just give him a big Club [Music] so please come to our house and tell us
00:24:37
all about this life and they said that he was you know he's a bad lad the man
00:24:41
who who killed my son had gone on the Run and they said he's gone on their own but
00:24:49
we will find him [Music] after I done to Michael avoid it more than ever you know get him off the
00:24:58
street please as a result of really detailed police inquiries and intelligence we tracked Deacon to an address in
00:25:07
Liverpool he was possibly surprised that we got to him so quickly but it was very clear
00:25:15
that he knew why we were there and what this was about on a Wednesday the 19th of October he
00:25:24
was arrested on suspicion of Michael's murder when the founders and told us they'd
00:25:31
actually arrested him in Liverpool we were so relieved I believe maybe it was we were thanking God for this but don't
00:25:38
help you right so now because it is just destroyed my family the devastation the East Coast my family
00:25:46
and his friends an Army Family he's horrific Michael's son who's only four
00:25:55
and he didn't know what was going on and unfortunately I had to tell him and it
00:26:01
says you don't see any then again kid anyone all right didn't understand so it says
00:26:08
no God's come down for him and Alice obviously oblivious to the fact that his dad had been killed
00:26:15
but after a while he thought about it he says can we go to the airport we get an
00:26:21
helicopter and then go and see me dead in the sky well we broke down all of us say it was
00:26:27
aim is horrible to it it shows you the way he was thinking [Music] are my bias about the pleasure rubbing
00:26:38
their dad are their life and he's got that taken away from him and that I hate that thought
00:26:47
voice talk to us is done to this family it's tried a lot of things that was going which were positive and which was
00:26:58
perfect it's destroyed our ad Timothy deakin was arrested an address in Liverpool
00:27:06
deacon chose not to say anything to the police he provided what's known as a no common
00:27:13
interview and didn't answer any question that that was presented before him it was a great relief when we eventually
00:27:23
heard from the police that they picked this man up and that he was due to face Justice and
00:27:30
he was going to appear at magistrates Court the next day once we swept the area through our
00:27:39
crimes and examinations and through members of the public that came forth actually were able to recover that knife
00:27:44
and it was so very very important to this investigation not only did we have the weapon that that sadly and
00:27:53
tragically cost Michael his life but from a forensic position we're able to connect that knife with the actual
00:28:01
injuries people saying to us Middleton has gone in mourning over my trip all the shots that's all he was talking
00:28:11
about the death of me son everyone said it the funeral director who's never seen anything like it ever
00:28:20
seen a funeral as big as that the police said he's never seen the church I just
00:28:28
absolutely amateur people foreign unreal again it was full the cemetery you just couldn't believe it but these
00:28:42
things you don't remember them as as clear as what you should do because you can't you
00:28:49
can't take it you know you you're burying your son and it it's just you
00:28:54
can't take it in heartbreaking very very quickly you can start to build a profile of the attacker and and we
00:29:08
were very quickly able to establish who Timothy Deacon was internet searches provided us with
00:29:16
previous criminal history and Court reports [Music] Timothy Deacon received a custodial
00:29:27
sentence from the course in relation to to an offensive group of bodily harm four years eight months he'd been
00:29:35
sentenced to for an unprovoked attack biting a man's ear off in a in another
00:29:40
fight in a poll but when a prisoners reached a certain point in their sentence in the UK
00:29:48
Criminal Justice System they are eligible for release as a result of his license conditions he
00:29:57
would be released and would serve a period of that on what they call license but he would be subject to a series of
00:30:03
conditions to manage him in the community it's basically a contract that an offender must sign that says I will
00:30:14
adhere to all these conditions and that is called a license agreement so daycare was my unlicensed when he was
00:30:23
determined to be the suspect in relation to this crime so um that was that was awful news for the
00:30:32
family [Music] to me shouldn't have been out and it was out the man who done it to my Michael and to
00:30:43
me they should have kept him there should keep him in there for life [Music] with this man Timothy Deacon carrying a
00:30:53
knife that suggests one of a couple of things either he's so confident that his
00:30:58
probation officer is not going to find out or do anything about it or he literally doesn't care about the
00:31:04
consequences the police investigation had in my opinion created an extremely compelling
00:31:14
case that he was Michael's murderer um and they committed other offenses too
00:31:21
you can never say never until that trial was concluded the trail is coming up in Bolton on a
00:31:29
certain days he seemed to take forever so it was being one you've got the AV
00:31:34
court because you can imagine me songs were fuming with this guy so it returns up and Tim deakin appears in the back
00:31:42
the first time we've seen him Show No Remorse whatsoever looked at us with an evil an evil face
00:31:51
if anything you know pulled his face are you looking at him and you're going
00:31:55
there I can't believe what we're we're seeing it this kid doesn't care you know
00:31:59
Timothy Deacon was charged with murder and he pleaded not guilty Timothy deakin was going to introduce a
00:32:07
defense of self-defense for Michael's family they're not used to these criminal trials they don't know
00:32:14
what tactics the defense team are going to use so they just don't know what to
00:32:18
expect we were singing call and they're trying to game off this is what is unreal to me he's admitted he's
00:32:27
killed me son and he's just trying to get him off he's trying to say but we
00:32:31
didn't mean this did you we didn't mean to go there or you didn't and it it was
00:32:36
he was fighting the attempt was made to say that Michael hoolikin was coming at me and that I
00:32:46
found this knife on the floor and that I picked the knife up and in an effort to
00:32:53
defend myself I flailed around with it and accidentally I killed him I mean the streets of Middleton aren't
00:33:00
littered with knives so the idea that somehow he was actually the victim was to be truthful Preposterous really
00:33:12
I was angry but I was more upset because it was muscle you know it really upset me the things I
00:33:20
heard in court Michael was not bullying never picking anyone it protects his mates he protects
00:33:29
his family which is which is normal for me you know that's the way he's been
00:33:33
brought up but there's no way picking anyone so he's not doing this you know
00:33:38
as a as a show enough of being cocky he's doing it to protect that lady foreign
00:33:52
the jury have a whole load of evidence that they use to make their minds up eyewitness police reports forensic
00:34:02
reports want utterly crucial piece of evidence that the trial of Timothy Deacon was the
00:34:10
CCTV which had been taken from outside the Friendship Inn what was caught on camera
00:34:19
were the last living moments of Michael hooligan [Music] you see Timothy Deacon come into shot
00:34:31
here we see Tim Deacon inside there and then he's about to leave the pogbies
00:34:38
taking his sister home here you see the argument spills out into the street oh and he's just slapped his sister
00:34:52
so hard that she collapses in the street he hits her so hard you see a cigarette fly out of
00:35:02
her mouth across the street and she falls to the ground it's at this point just out of view
00:35:10
that Michael emerges from the pub Michael challenged Timothy Deacon when he saw Deacon battering his sister and
00:35:20
Deacon stepped up to him and Michael got the better of him and knocked him to the ground as Deacon came
00:35:27
at him Tim deakin's defense was that um he fell to the ground and that the lock knife was on the floor
00:35:37
that it wasn't taken with him to the scene to sort out any trouble but at some stage here
00:35:50
and I think that's it you see him take something out of his pocket and it changed his hands from one hand to the
00:35:56
other there he is pulling the lock knife out of his pocket Timothy Deacon was just acting in
00:36:03
self-defense one stab would be more than enough that would say stay away from me
00:36:08
you know stand back but that wasn't the case here the fact that he stabbed Michael five times shows this was line
00:36:16
rage this was an anger driven offense not out of self-defense you've heard the evidence in court you
00:36:22
want this to go the right way but you can never call a jury you can never say from being outside of the sanctity of
00:36:31
that jewelry room whether there is somebody within that group who believes that Reasonable Doubt has been sown
00:36:38
[Music] we've been through all this Trail and it just I was like I hope to God
00:36:48
they never let him out ever not while I'm on this Earth anyway or they never let him out
00:36:54
this is so difficult for families to endure and the only thing they keep thinking is to for it to all to be worth
00:37:00
it that person has to be found guilty when you get the knock on the door as the jury Foreman comes
00:37:09
back into court and the judge asks have you reached a verdict and is that verdict unanimous there is a flip even
00:37:18
as a journalist that goes in your stomach the final verdict was that Timothy Deacon was found guilty of murder
00:37:28
this was the judge I was the one who would give you four years last time he said so I'm putting
00:37:34
you away for 27 years minimum well you could see the relief of the police officers
00:37:40
everyone in the court you could see the relief I'd like to say yes it's been given a long time
00:37:47
it was only at Timothy deakin's sentencing that we realized that he breached his license conditions and that
00:37:55
he shouldn't have been out at that time of night oh this is when everything come out it
00:38:01
was frightening and I mean this it was frightening it was unclear for you what was he doing
00:38:09
in the pub that night well I did nobody slack up why I did nothing flag up that he was out in the pub
00:38:21
and it was only at the point in sentencing that part of the truth actually came out that Deacon was a huge
00:38:29
risk to the public that he was classed as a serious and prolific offender that he had a catalog of violent defenses
00:38:37
already under his belt that he stood a huge chance of reoffending and that the probation service hadn't done their job
00:38:47
they hadn't been able to keep the public safe from this violent and promising
00:38:52
offender and that is why Michael lost his life Timothy deakin was only 23 when he got
00:39:01
sentenced of course there's an age-old debate when it comes to violence and criminality nature versus nurture and I
00:39:09
think this is a classic example of nurture he was from a broken home he had not attained an education so his life
00:39:19
outcomes were limited [Music] in the end while those are mitigating factors they do not excuse cold-blooded
00:39:31
murder [Music] 27 years after sales menu people are going to be safe without him
00:39:40
around so that was good news today whatever sentence he was and ultimately was given it genuinely
00:39:48
does pale into comparison when you when you look at what is taken from that family people say time to kneel no it's
00:39:56
not Michael will be missed forever I promise you we always wonder where he is times when you think you'll be in a
00:40:06
minute and you know he's not here these are things that affect you mentally for
00:40:12
the rest of your life and not acceptable he's just feels so angry it really upset
00:40:19
me the things I heard in court about the math probation knew what type of person he was he was a prolific
00:40:27
offender you know so why did they just let him slip through the net we said we need to do something about it
00:40:39
we've got to stop this thing happening where people are getting murdered unnecessary and we need a publicly
00:40:46
quietly about all these debts till later they were aspects of of Michael's murder with
00:40:53
questions wrapped around them and in particular in relation to Deacon being on probationary license a bit near the
00:41:01
greater level of exploration so his Majesty's coroner at the time uh saw that
00:41:07
and starts running in quest the really crucial failure that came out at the inquest was that Timothy deakin
00:41:19
had been arrested in another Force after smashing up a car that he'd stolen and
00:41:26
he was in possession of drugs that incident should have resulted in him being charged and immediately being
00:41:35
recalled back to prison that makes me angry very angry and I hope to God they never let him out ever
00:41:44
[Music] the coroner did an incredible job and uncovered a whole series of failings
00:41:56
[Music] we've gone to a better place where no one hears anyone and he's with all his grants and
00:42:07
granddads in there for all his friends that have passed away in the past not really what I'm there though I'd
00:42:17
like him to be back here with us remember oh yeah we can't change that can we
00:42:28
record [Music] I just wish he was here with us Allen to see his own son grow up and what a
00:42:38
lovely lady grown up to be like you know and that upsets me a lot because it should be seeing all the wonderful
00:42:46
things with his son and saying but it's very much like his dad I'm like he's found the figure
00:42:54
and I make sure I'm always there for him [Music] Michael was my baby and I miss him so
00:43:03
much and every night before I go to bed as you can see these pictures everywhere
00:43:09
and I've got one in my kitchen there and stand on the step and I blame a cake and a golf I love you
00:43:15
night God black Michael and I kiss every picture [Music] because I think he needs to know
00:43:24
it's just awful [Music] thank you [Music]

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 95
    Most heartbreaking
  • 90
    Most emotional
  • 90
    Best performance
  • 85
    Most shocking

Episode Highlights

  • Michael's Tragic Fate
    A chance meeting leads to a life-altering tragedy for Michael and his family.
    “This twist of fate changed the course of everybody's life.”
    @ 00m 47s
    October 11, 2023
  • The Night of the Incident
    Michael's decision to go out that night would cost him his life.
    “That one decision was going to cost him his life.”
    @ 06m 50s
    October 11, 2023
  • The Arrest of Timothy Deakin
    Timothy Deakin is arrested in connection with Michael's murder, bringing a sense of relief.
    “It was a great relief when we heard from the police that they picked this man up.”
    @ 27m 23s
    October 11, 2023
  • Timothy Deacon's Trial
    Timothy Deacon was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense.
    “He’s admitted he’s killed my son and he’s just trying to get off.”
    @ 32m 24s
    October 11, 2023
  • Verdict Announcement
    Timothy Deacon was found guilty of murder, receiving a minimum sentence of 27 years.
    “The final verdict was that Timothy Deacon was found guilty of murder.”
    @ 37m 25s
    October 11, 2023
  • The Impact of Michael's Death
    Michael's family reflects on the lasting emotional toll of his murder.
    “These are things that affect you mentally for the rest of your life.”
    @ 40m 15s
    October 11, 2023

Episode Quotes

  • What is going on here? This is not real!
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight
  • Losing him was the worst day of my life.
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight
  • You know, you’re burying your son and it’s just... you can’t take it in.
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight
  • This was an anger-driven offense, not out of self-defense.
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight
  • I hope to God they never let him out ever.
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight
  • Michael will be missed forever, I promise you.
    The Tragic Murder of Michael Hoolickin | Murdered at First Sight

Key Moments

  • Michael's Kindness00:29
  • Twist of Fate00:47
  • Tragic Decision06:50
  • Night of Chaos07:29
  • Heartbreaking Loss20:35
  • Trial Tension31:25
  • Guilty Verdict37:25
  • Emotional Reflection40:15

Tension Over Time

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown