Soldier Arrested Over Droylsden Stabbing

13 March 2012, 10:05 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Ian Lowe from the 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is being held in connection with the death of Leanne McNuff.

Police said they were called to Mellor Street in Droylsden at about 7.45pm on Sunday following reports a woman had been assaulted.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers attended and found 24-year-old Leanne McNuff had been seriously injured. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.”

A post mortem examination has concluded that she died from multiple stab wounds.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “We can confirm that on March 11, a serving soldier from 1 Lancs  was arrested on suspicion of murder.”

He added: “The matter is subject to an ongoing civil police investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst this is ongoing.”

Detective Inspector Graham Brock, from the Major Incident Team, said: “Our thoughts are with Leanne's family and friends at this time, who are understandably distraught that their loved one has been taken from them in this way.

Pte Lowe featured in an interview in the Manchester Evening News in February 2008 when he returned from a tour of Iraq to see his son for the first time.

His girlfriend, Miss McNuff, gave birth to Jaden only 10 days after the soldier was sent to Basra, the newspaper reported at the time.

A photograph showed the soldier gleefully holding Jaden aloft, while another captured the couple with their son.

Pte Lowe told the newspaper: “It was wonderful to see him. I was worrying about Jaden and Leanne but my mates knew what I was going through and were very supportive.”

It is understood that police are treating the death as a domestic incident.