One of Britain’s tallest men and his girlfriend who were wanted for murder have been arrested after two men were stabbed in broad daylight – leaving one fighting for his life.
Gary Stretch, 47, – who stands 7ft 3in tall – was put on police force’s ‘Most Wanted’ list after Kevin Lee, 48, was found knifed to death on Saturday morning.
Stretch fled with tattooed lover Joanna Dennehy, 30, after the body of Mr Lee was found by a member of the public near the A16 in Newborough, Cambs.
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The majority of the attacks are believed to have been focused around the Hunderton suburb of the city.
A spokesman for the force said: ” Several people have been arrested and are in custody – we believe we have now accounted for all suspects connected with the incident.
“One of the injured men was assaulted in the Westfaling Street area and is in a serious condition at QE hospital, Birmingham.
“A large police presence will remain on the ground as we investigate and reassure local people.
“Anyone who wishes to contact West Mercia Police about the incidents should call 101.”
Neighbours living on Westfaling Street said last night one of the those arrested was a woman who had been “randomly stabbing and attacking people”.
Ken Hooper, 18, said: “From what I’ve been told there was a woman going round stabbing people and threatening them with a knife.
“It wasn’t a street fight or anything like that. She has just been going around picking people off to attack. It’s crazy.”
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, added: “This kind of stuff doesn’t happen around here, everybody is shocked. There’s a lot of old people who are very worried now.
“We’re being told one arrested for definitely a woman who has stabbed a couple of people for no apparent reason.
“But its a mystery who these other people are that have been arrested and how they are involved.”
Fiona Vickery, 55, added: “It’s terrifying to think this could happen around here.”
Cambridgeshire Police launched a huge manhunt for the couple following the brutal murder.
Hulking Stretch was last seen with Dennehy, who has a distinctive green tattoo on her right cheek.
On Tuesday the couple were arrested following a number of “serious incidents” across Hereford and surrounding Herefordshire which resulted in two men being stabbed in apparently random attacks.
They were being questioned with three other men – who were all arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Shocked residents across Hereford yesterday reported seeing a woman “randomly stabbing and attacking people in the street” between 3.30pm and 4pm on Tuesday.
West Mercia Police confirmed a string of attacks had occurred in the city and elsewhere in Herefordshire which ended with the men being taken to hospital with stab wounds.
Yesterday both men’s conditions were described as “very poorly.”
Superintendent Ivan Powell, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are continuing to investigate what took place in several different locations on Tuesday afternoon.
“Forensic searches and house to house inquiries are ongoing. We have also seized two vehicles as part of our investigation.
“We would like to reassure the public that these incidents were contained swiftly and we will continue to have a police presence in the area to provide support.
“Those people arrested are not believed to be known to the injured men and this is believed to be random, unprovoked attacks on local people.”
Neighbours living in the area reacted with shock to the attacks which have rocked their quiet community.
Secondary school teacher Barbara Baker, 40, said she saw one of the men being led away by police.
She said: “It looked like they were arresting the Incredible Hulk or Bigfoot. I couldn’t believe the size of him. It was terrifying.”
Ken Hooper, 18, said: “From what I’ve been told there was a woman going round stabbing people and threatening them with a knife.
“It wasn’t a street fight or anything like that. She has just been going around picking people off to attack. It’s crazy.”
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, added: “This kind of stuff doesn’t happen around here, everybody is shocked.
“There’s a lot of old people who are very worried now.
“We’re being told one arrested for definitely a woman who has stabbed a couple of people for no apparent reason.
“But its a mystery who these other people are that have been arrested and how they are involved.”
Fiona Vickery, 55, added: “It’s terrifying to think this could happen around here.”
One of Tuesday’s attacks took place outside Dawe Brothers’ funeral directors in Hereford.
Forensics teams and uniformed officers were conducting searches of the street in front of the building yesterday.
Neighbour Katie Morris, 17, said: “I came downstairs at about 4.30 and heard this car pull up, then the door slammed shut.
“It pulled off really fast like someone was in a hurry.
“I looked out of the window and saw somebody hunched over and clutching their side as if they’d been punched or stabbed.
“It was a man with dark hair, I think they found someone up the top of the street.
“After that there were police helicopters in the sky for a while, my dad works across town and saw them too.
“It’s not something you expect to happen, all you normally see here is cars and kids going up to use the park.”
This article has jumbled up two different stories, one in Peterborough and the other in Hereford.