Four men have been charged with the murder of a grandmother who was shot dead in her own home.
Jacqueline Rutter, 53, was fatally shot in the chest in Moreton, Wirral in October 2022. A Merseyside Police spokesman said: “Following a lengthy and complex investigation, the following men have been charged with murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life/enable another to do so and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life/enable another to do so.”
The men are Simon Allen, 54, James Byrne, 23, Barrie Glynn, 46, and 58-year-old David Harrison. A fifth person – Anna McGinn, 25, of Frankby Stiles, in Birkenhead – has also been charged with two counts of assisting an offender. They are all due to appear at Liverpool Magistrate’s Court on Thursday April 10.
The Merseyside Police spokesman added: “Criminal proceedings against all five people are now active and it’s extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.
“If you have any information about Jacqueline’s murder and still haven’t come forward, you can still get in touch and speak to our investigation team.”
The family of grandmother-of-five Jacqueline has previously said they couldn’t understand how anyone could kill a “defenceless grandmother”.
Her son, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Our hearts will forever remain heavy as nobody can recover from a death of a murdered loved one.”
Speaking after the death, her daughter said: “Jackie wouldn’t hurt a fly. She was the sweetest woman you could ever meet. She only weighed five and a half stone. To lose a parent is bad enough, but to have her stolen like this is just horrific.”
Her daughter’s partner said: “She was a loving mother; she’d do anything for anybody. She’d give you the last coin in her purse. She was the life and soul of the party. She was one in a million. She had her struggles. She brought her children up all alone.”
Another of Jacqueline’s children said: “As a family, we have been living our worst nightmare since you were cruelly taken. This has destroyed our family and left grandchildren confused as to why nanny Jackie isn’t coming home. Its pains us to think of how frightened you were in your final moments and nobody should have to experience that. Our hearts will forever remain heavy as nobody can recover from a death of a murdered loved one…There isn’t a day that goes by that you are not in our thoughts. We love and miss you so much, rest easy now mum.”
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