Evening Post
LANCASHIRE
lep.co.uk
Peter Purves
Tragedy as ‘angel’ is found dead in his bed
by Aasma Day
Health Reporter
aasma.day@lep.co.uk
A YOUNG man was found lifeless
in bed by his mother just hours after
enjoying a family night out.
Michael Wilkinson, 23, was pro-
nounced dead despite a frantic effort
by his family and doctors to revive
him.
He was given the Last Rites in hos-
pital – but then suddenly, to the
amazement of medics, his heart
began beating again.
Michael, of Ribbleton Hall Drive,
Preston, was transferred to the in-
tensive care unit at Royal Preston
Hospital, but died 30 hours later.
Fighting back tears, mum Susan
Horrigan, 44, said: “It was as if he had
been taken away from me, then given
back only to be taken away again.”
Michael’s grandparents Philip and
Carol Bolton treated Michael, his
brother Lee, 25, sister Stacy, 22, and
their mum to an evening out at a Pre-
ston pub on Saturday, January 31.
Michael went home at 10pm show-
ing no signs of illness.
The next day, mum-of-three Susan
went into his bedroom and found him
motionless.
TERROR OP:
THREE HELD
by Chris Visser
chris.visser@lep.co.uk
ANTI-terror police have
arrested nine men in a
dramatic late-night swoop
on a Lancashire motorway.
All nine men were travelling to-
wards Preston when they were
seized by police close to junction
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She said: “As soon as I saw him I
knew he was dead.”
Grandma Carol Bolton, who
turned 66 on the day of Michael’s fu-
Motorway closed and vehicles are seized
1 of the M65 at 9pm last night.
Six were later released without
charge but three men remain in cus-
tody.
The M65 – close to the junction
with the M61 – was closed off fol-
lowing the operation by the North
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009
...from Preston
to Blue Peter
Plus all your TV news: Pages 19-46
neral on Thursday, said: “When
Susan found Michael dead in bed, he
looked like a corpse. But after his
heart started again, colour returned
West Counter Terrorism Unit.
Today, a spokeswoman for Lan-
cashire Police could not confirm how
many vehicles were involved, how
many police were involved, details
relating to the men including ages
and where they are from or where
they were heading. She said the men
40p
HEARTBREAK: Michael
Wilkinson (right) pictured
at a family night out with,
from left: brother Lee,
mum Susan Horrigan and
sister Stacey
to his face and when he did die, he
looked like the Michael we knew and
loved.”
● Turn to Page 5
were arrested “on suspicion of com-
mitting offences under the Terror-
ism Act 2006”.
She added: “The arrests are part
of an ongoing intelligence-led oper-
ation.”
● See lep.co.uk for updates on
this story over the weekend.
Thug escapes
from courtroom
A THUG who carried out a serious as-
sault in a Lancashire prison is on the
run after escaping from court.
Perry Ellison jumped from the dock
and fled the courtroom during his
crown court trial at the Sessions House
in Preston at 1pm on Thursday.
The judge had warned him he would
have to be remanded in custody for the
remainder of the trial because he had
repeatedly turned up to court late.
Ellison, 20, was accused of carrying
out an assault at Lancaster Farms
young offenders’ institute.
A jury convicted him of grievous bod-
ily harm in his absence yesterday.
Ellison, who is originally from Liver-
pool, was still on the run last night.
He had been in Court One, which
hosted the high-security trial of killer
GP, Harold Shipman nine years ago.
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