‘I was going to cut his throat’: Ex-criminal enforcer turned bishop reveals how he planned to kill rapist
“I should have been dead many times,” says Pastor Mick Fleming.
The 57-year-old has survived several attempts on his life after working as an enforcer for the criminal underworld.
He narrowly avoided being killed in a drive-by shooting when he felt bullets “whizz” past his body. “I think that was the closest I came to be being murdered,” Mick tells Sky News.
He also survived his own attempt to kill himself when he pointed a gun at his head, pulled the trigger but the weapon failed to fire.
“I dropped the gun and I cried,” he says.
“It was the first time I’d cried since I was little boy.”
After years of violence and drug use, Mick says he had grown to “despise” himself.
He suffered two traumatic events growing up in Burnley, Lancashire, that sent his life spiralling into crime and substance abuse.
Aged 11, he says he was raped by a stranger in a park as he walked to school.
Mick Fleming pictured as a boy
“I felt a hand over my mouth and I was dragged into this bandstand,” Mick says.
“I was petrified. I still sometimes think about it. It hasn’t gone away.”
The next day, Mick was told his 20-year-old sister Ann had suffered a heart attack and died in her father’s arms.
“My dad came through the front door and shouted: ‘Come down, your sister’s dead’,” he says.
“It was cold and blunt… then he broke down. He was a tough guy my dad, but a nice man. I’d never seen him cry.”
Mick Fleming says he began dealing drugs as a teenager
Life of crime
Mick says he went “inward” and started imagining carrying out crimes like pickpocketing “to escape the real world”.
Soon after, he started stealing and dealing drugs as a teenager before working as an enforcer collecting debts for criminals.
He admits there was “a lot of violence” and that his family described him as “demonic” at that time. It was not until 2009 that his life changed.
Mick says he spent years dealing with drug abuse
Armed with a gun wrapped in a plastic bag, Mick went to collect a debt from a man outside a gym. But when he walked towards his target, he realised the man was holding hands with two little girls – and there appeared to be “light shining off their hands”.
“It was a really surreal moment,” he says. “I felt sick. I started to cough and splutter and I couldn’t see.
“I felt this thing in the pit of my stomach. It was a horrible, dark feeling – like a sickness.
“I got back in the car and drove round the corner into this little industrial unit and pulled over. I was throwing my guts up. There was blood everywhere. I looked like I’d been stabbed.”
Mick was an enforcer for the criminal underworld
It was at this point that Mick tried to shoot himself. After he failed, he was later admitted to a psychiatric unit.
“I’ve never had a drink or used drugs since,” Mick says. “I was on a road to recovery from that point on.”
Meeting his rapist – and the plan to kill him
Mick had been clean of drink and drugs for about a year when he says, by chance, he met the man who raped him.
He spotted his attacker in a McDonald’s restaurant. The man was drunk and Mick bought him a cup of tea.
“I knew it was him,” Mick says. “He didn’t know it was me.”
Mick arranged to meet the man the next day with the intention of killing him.
“I went back with a knife in my sock,” he says.
“I was going to cut his throat. I was going to kill him. Everything was building up inside me.”
Mick Fleming is known locally as Pastor Mick
As Mick walked towards the man, he says he imagined killing him, with “clear, vivid pictures” of the brutal act in his mind.
But instead of carrying it out, Mick says he sat down and listened to what the man had to say.
“I didn’t say anything,” Mick explains. “In that moment I got this real understanding. I thought: ‘I’m not going to live in your sin.’
“People say resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. That’s what I’d been doing.
“I didn’t grow to love the guy but, in the end, I can honestly say I didn’t hate him.”
Mick says the man died about two years later.
Becoming a priest
After leaving the psychiatric unit, Mick went on to achieve a degree in theology from the University of Manchester, overcoming difficulties he faced with dyslexia.
Now ordained as a priest and recently consecrated as a bishop, he is known locally as Pastor Mick and runs a charity called Church On The Street, helping people struggling in the cost of living crisis.
Among its services, the charity provides food, mental health support and Citizens’ Advice – and has recently had to start helping families pay for funerals.
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Church helping families in Burnley
“At the moment, it’s far, far worse than the pandemic,” he says. “It’s ordinary people with children who are in dire straits.”
He is also concerned about the impact of the cost of living on mental health and suicide risk.
“I’ve got NHS mental health teams working with us in our building. People can’t afford to have a funeral for their loved ones. It’s horrendous. We pay an undertaker to do the funerals for us and then I do the services for free.”
William and Kate met Pastor Mick during a visit to his charity last year
Meeting William and Kate
Mick’s work was recognised by royalty when Prince William and Kate visited the charity in January last year.
William has since written the foreword to Mick’s book – with a TV series about his life in the works – and he was invited to Kate’s Christmas carol concert in December.
“I got to pray for them which was quite an honour,” Mick says. “I really felt they’re going to need prayers.”
Mick believes William and Kate understand the problems people are facing with the cost of living despite their royal lifestyles.
“Obviously they haven’t experienced it but you don’t have to dead to be an undertaker, do you?” he says.
“They’ve got the ability to open doors and ask questions that need to be asked and point fingers in right directions.”
Mick – who was married with three children during his time as a criminal enforcer – says he has repaired relationships with his family over the years.
“I wasn’t a good father,” he says. “I have to live with that fact.
“I’d want it to be better with my children, that’s the truth. But it’s all right – my family have come to accept me, and love me, and care for me. It’s the best I can do.
“Some of it is my regret around my children. I wish I could turn the clock back with that but I can’t so I accept it and do the best with it.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Humza Yousaf has announced he is standing down as Scotland’s first minister and SNP leader.
Here are some of the potential contenders who could step up to lead the country.
Follow live: Humza Yousaf resigns as Scotland’s first minister
KATE FORBES
Kate Forbes. Pic: PA
Kate Forbes narrowly lost out to Mr Yousaf in last year’s SNP leadership contest.
The former finance secretary faced backlash during her campaign after admitting she would have voted against gay marriage in Scotland when it was made legal a decade ago.
The Free Church of Scotland member also told Sky News that having children out of marriage is “wrong” and something she would “seek to avoid”.
However, the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch stressed that “in a free society you can do what you want”.
Ms Forbes had argued that “continuity won’t cut it”.
After losing to Mr Yousaf by 48% to 52%, she said: “If we are to continue to win elections, we need to continue to listen and maintain trust.”
Ms Forbes turned down the role of rural affairs minister, which at the time was seen as a demotion.
Although her views on social issues remain unpopular with some of her MSP colleagues, she was one of the few SNP ministers who did not delete her WhatsApp messages during the COVID pandemic.
Ms Forbes would face resistance from the Scottish Greens, who have previously ruled out working with her.
STEPHEN FLYNN
Stephen Flynn. Pic: PA
Stephen Flynn replaced Ian Blackford as the SNP’s Westminster leader in December 2022.
The Aberdeen South MP was touted as a potential future party leader by Joanna Cherry MP.
Ms Cherry praised his leadership, noting he was “tolerant” of opposing views and committed to addressing division within the SNP.
As he is not an MSP, that could block his chances of becoming first minister at Holyrood.
NEIL GRAY
Neil Gray. Pic: PA
Former journalist Neil Gray is Holyrood’s health secretary. He was promoted to the role in February after Michael Matheson resigned following a scandal involving an £11,000 iPad data roaming bill.
Mr Gray, the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, previously served as an MP between 2015 and 2021 before making the switch from Westminster to Holyrood.
Mr Gray, who served as Mr Yousaf’s campaign manager in the SNP leadership contest, was previously the cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy, and before that the minister for culture, Europe and International Development.
JENNY GILRUTH
Jenny Gilruth. Pic: PA
Jenny Gilruth, Holyrood’s education secretary, is a former modern studies teacher and is married to ex-Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
The SNP MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes was a junior minister in Nicola Sturgeon’s government.
She was promoted from transport secretary to cabinet secretary for education and skills after Mr Yousaf took charge in March 2023.
Ms Gilruth is seen to be ambitious but was recently criticised by Scotland’s largest teaching union for failing to read its damning report on violence in Aberdeen schools.
SHONA ROBISON
Shona Robison. Pic: PA
Shona Robison could fancy her chances as Scotland’s leader following her stint as deputy first minister under Mr Yousaf.
Ms Robison, the finance secretary, has been the MSP for Dundee City East since 2003 and is a close friend of former first minister Ms Sturgeon.
She has previously held the post of health secretary, and as cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government was behind Holyrood’s efforts to pass the controversial Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Following the breakdown of the Bute House Agreement, Ms Robison may face a challenge to hold onto her position if the SNP wish to replace those at the top of the chain in an effort to start afresh.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
JOHN SWINNEY
John Swinney. Pic: PA
John Swinney stood down as deputy first minister following Ms Sturgeon’s shock resignation in 2023.
The former SNP leader, who resigned from that post in 2004 following poor European parliament election results, could be tempted to once again step into the spotlight following his year on the backbenches.
He ruled himself out of the 2023 leadership race, citing that he had to put his young family first.
The MSP for Perthshire North, who was finance secretary under Alex Salmond’s government, has the experience to hold the fort following Mr Yousaf’s departure.
MAIRI MCALLAN
Mairi McAllan. Pic: PA
Mairi McAllan is a rising star within the SNP.
The MSP for Clydesdale was a special adviser to Ms Sturgeon and is now the wellbeing economy, net zero and energy secretary.
She faced a storm of criticism earlier this month after announcing the scrapping of the Scottish government’s key climate change target.
At the age of 31, Ms McAllan would become the youngest first minister.
As she is expecting her first child, with maternity leave expected to kick in during the summer until March 2025, it seems unlikely she will run for the top job.
Two men have been charged with murder after a man’s torso was found at a nature reserve in Salford, police have said.
Greater Manchester Police said more human remains were discovered this morning in an alleyway close to railway lines in the market town of Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains at two other locations – Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood – as part of the investigation over the weekend in the Greater Manchester area.
Police believe the torso – consisting of the bottom of the back, buttocks and thigh – found at Kersal Dale Wetlands on 4 April belongs to a man in his 60s.
Officers have informed his family about his death, but have not yet identified him publicly.
The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police say they are confident they belong to the same victim.
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski, 68, and Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are due to appear at Tameside Magistrates’ Court this afternoon, Greater Manchester Police said.
Forensic officers at Kersal Dale. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks.
“It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news.
“They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.”
She said despite the charges brought today – “our work is far from over”.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and inquiries continue,” she said.
“Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of inquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.”
Read more from Sky News:
Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland’s first minister
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She added: “I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their co-operation throughout this investigation.
“I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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Humza Yousaf has resigned as Scotland’s first minister after cutting ties with his government’s power-sharing partners.
The leader of the SNP, who only took on the role in March last year, has been at the centre of a chaotic few days in Holyrood after he made the surprise announcement to end his power-sharing deal with the Scottish Green Party on Thursday.
Mr Yousaf cut ties following a bitter row over the SNP’s climbdown on climate targets as he said the agreement between the parties had “served its purpose”.
But as a result, his former Green allies teamed up with the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats to get behind two no-confidence motions, one in himself as leader of Scotland and another regarding the entire Scottish government.
Ahead of any of those votes taking place, Mr Yousaf stepped down as Scotland’s first minister just after midday on Monday as he said he was “not willing to treat my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power”.
He said he will remain in post until a replacement first minister is chosen.
Over the weekend, Mr Yousaf insisted he would not resign but by Monday morning his tune had changed and Sky News was told he was considering resigning.
He was due to meet the Alba Party’s sole MSP, Ash Regan, who was set to make demands in exchange for her support during a confidence vote. Her vote could have been the decider but he chose to step down before it came to that.
Announcing he was quitting, Mr Yousaf said he “clearly underestimated the level of heart and upset” he caused the Greens when he cut ties with them.
“To my colleagues in opposition, regardless of political party, genuinely, I bear no ill will and certainly no grudge against anyone,” he said as his voice broke while thanking his wife, children and family for “putting up with me over the years”.
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‘We stand ready to work with new leader’
Mr Yousaf said it had been “an honour” to serve as first minister of Scotland and it was a role he “could never have dreamt” of as a young boy growing up there.
The politician, whose parents are Pakistani and Kenyan, also said he is evidence multiculturalism has flourished in the UK.
“People who looked like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger,” he said.
“We now live in a UK that has a British Hindu prime minister, a Muslim mayor of London, a black Welsh first minister, and for a little while longer a Scottish Asian first minister of this country.
“So for those who decry that multiculturalism has failed across the UK, I would suggest that the evidence is quite to the contrary and that is something we should all celebrate.”
Mr Yousaf said he was proud to have overseen “the most progressive” tax system in the UK and played a part in lifting an expected 100,000 children out of poverty this year.
He added that he will continue to campaign for independence, which he said “feels frustratingly close” and he is “absolutely certain” his successor will achieve it.
The race to replace Mr Yousaf has now commenced, with several names in the fray, although none have officially declared they have thrown their hats in the ring.
Close ally of Mr Yousaf, John Swinney, former deputy leader under Nicola Sturgeon, is being touted as the favourite.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, has also been mentioned as has Kate Forbes who lost out to Mr Yousaf during last year’s leadership contest.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
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You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
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