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Grandmother Murdered as Gangland 'Payback'
1 Feb
Summary
- Grandmother was killed as revenge for her sons' drug dealing activities.
- Killer James Byrne sentenced to a minimum of 40 years.
- Woodchurch gang linked to multiple fatal shootings in winter 2022.
Jackie Rutter, a 53-year-old grandmother, was fatally shot outside her Wirral home in October 2022. The murder was a revenge killing, orchestrated by James Byrne, then 21, whose drug-dealing business had been targeted by Rutter's sons. Prosecutors described the sons as notorious for robbing local drug dealers.
Byrne, a member of the violent Woodchurch gang, fired a handgun at Rutter at close range. He was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison for his crime. The judge noted that Rutter, while struggling with addiction, had no involvement in the drug line her sons operated.
