The Murder of Inspector Ray Codling

I tried to remember the details of this case that I knew happened it the mid to late 80`s and the killer was a homosexual rapist.  A crime magazine gave the details.  The man murdered was Police Inspector Ray Codling and the killer was Tony Hughes, an armed robber, rapist and now a killer.  This all happened when Inspector Codling & Sergeant Jim Bowden were keeping a watch on patrol for a distinctive motorcycle.  The rider was wanted in connection with an armed robbery.  They come across the bike at the Birch Services near Rochdale, on the M62 motorway.  It was 2.am on September 14th 1989.  I have passed this service station many times travelling from Ellesmere Port to Bradford, and vice versa.  They were checking it out when the rider appeared.  They noticed the rider had a knife on him so they asked him to come over so they could speak to him.  He responded by producing a gun and shooting Ray Codling twice, fatally.  Sergeant Bowden was shot in the leg as he tried to run.  The gunman shot Jim Bowden in the chest but the bullet was incredibly, deflected by his notebook.  Then the gunman fled on the bike.  People at the services gave assistance until an ambulance arrived.  Police forces across the north started a massive manhunt.

   The gunman rode into the South Yorkshire town of Barnsley.  He was looking for a Catholic priest, and was pointed in the direction of the nearest one.  The priest was away, so he went to a close by Catholic school, but the priest was not there.  He decided to lock himself into the garage at the side of the church and wait for the priest.  However, the headmaster saw this and called Police.  They told him to evacuate the school immediately.  Police surrounded the garage but a shot rang out.  The gunman had committed suicide.  He turned out to be Anthony Hughes, aged 42, a career criminal with an unpleasant record.  He was a homosexual but despite this, he viciously raped a stewardess at knife point.  He served 6 years for robbery with violence.  Then after release, this model citizen carried out two armed robberies, an attempted murder, and was caught with two firearms.  Amazingly, he only received ten years.  Then, right after his release from this sentence, he committed rape, dressed as a cop.  This got him 7 years - he served 15 out of 23 years -  then he was back into his old ways; robberies.  A wage snatch in Manchester followed by a bank raid in Stockport.  Now it was murder and attempted murder.  

    According to, Hughes claimed he wanted revenge on cops and prison officers, as he spent many years in jail.  Simple then, he should not break the law.  But as ever, it turns out he was one of those lazy, workshy bastards who draw dole and go out and thieve.  No doubt he did not want to be one of the "mugs" like most of us are.  The shot to his brain? Good fucking riddance!