Man bailed over Bramhall 'intruder' stab death
A man who was arrested on suspicion of murder following the fatal stabbing of a man during a suspected burglary in Stockport has been released on bail.
Businessman Vincent Cooke, 39, was at home in Midland Road, Bramhall, when intruders broke in at about 19:50 BST on Saturday.
Raymond Stanley Jacob, 37, from Wythenshawe, died at the scene.
His death is the third of its kind in Greater Manchester in the past four months.
In June, Peter Flanagan, 59, fatally stabbed an intruder at his home in Salford.
The following month, florist Cecil Coley, 72, stabbed a burglar at his shop in Old Trafford.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of murder, but were later released without charge when the Crown Prosecution Service ruled they acted in reasonable self-defence.
'Love you son'
Mr Cooke has been bailed until 17 October, pending further inquiries.
A 33-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. He remains in police custody, a spokesman said.
Officers have also recovered a white Citroen van after issuing a witness appeal.
Mr Cooke's wife and their 12-year-old son arrived at the house during the incident and managed to escape unharmed.
Floral tributes to Mr Jacob have been left outside the large detached house in the affluent suburb.
One read: "Love you son. Going to miss you more than anything."
A gold Maserati sports car and a silver Range Rover, with personalised registration plates, and a large white Transit van were parked on the driveway of the house.
A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "I'm staggered. I can't imagine something like that happening here.
"I don't think the family have lived here for long."
A post-mortem examination has confirmed that Mr Jacob died from stab wounds.
Ch Supt Rebekah Sutcliffe, who leads Greater Manchester Police's Stockport division, said: "This is clearly a distressing incident for all concerned - Raymond's family, the occupants of the house and the wider community in Bramhall.
"Due to the nature of the incident we understand that people will have strong opinions on this subject and this remains a matter of national debate.
"However, I want to stress that my officers have to operate within the law and our primary aim is to establish exactly what happened that night.
"It is vital we establish the exact circumstances in [which] Raymond died and determine whether or not it was a criminal act or of self-defence.
"This process will clearly take time because it is important we do not make snap decisions but investigate fully and without prejudice."
She said that any other burglaries in the Stockport area in recent weeks or months would also be investigated.
A mobile police station had been set up in Bramhall and extra patrols were on the streets to provide a visible reassurance for residents.