The iPad Hit: How a Gangland Feud Ended in Murder

Key Points

• Kieran McGrath, a 26-year-old drug dealer from Clayton, was shot dead outside Ashton police station on 4 October 2014 after driving there himself following a gangland hit at the Sheldon Arms pub in Ashton-under-Lyne.
• The murder stemmed from a bitter two-year feud between McGrath and rival drug dealer Anthony Henry, 31, who believed McGrath shot him at The Railway pub in Clayton Bridge a year earlier.
• Henry orchestrated the killing using high-tech methods: four GPS trackers bought in Stockport, an iPad to monitor movements from his Manchester city centre apartment, and burner “murder phones”.
• Killers included gunman Remi Adams, 33, from Whitefield, who fired four shots from a .45 pistol; motorbike rider Jace Smith, 31, from Blackley; and Henry’s right-hand man Troy Beckford, 23, from Golborne, Wigan.
• Police built a “digital investigation” using trackers, SIM cards, phone records (1,664 calls), CCTV, and iPad cell site data, leading to life sentences for all four in 2016 at Manchester and Liverpool Crown Courts.
• No witnesses came forward initially; McGrath had prior cocaine dealing conviction but was never charged in Henry’s shooting.
• Post-verdict, Adams taunted McGrath’s mother Marie in court.

Ashton-under-Lyne (Manchester Mirror ) 22 January 2026 – A 26-year-old Manchester drug dealer collapsed and died outside Ashton police station after driving there himself, moments after a ruthless gangland execution at a local pub. Kieran McGrath had been gunned down in the car park of the Sheldon Arms, the bloody endpoint of a two-year feud with rival Anthony Henry. As reported by crime reporter John Scheerhout and reporter Damon Wilkinson of the Manchester Evening News, Henry tracked McGrath’s every move using GPS devices, burner phones, and an iPad from his city centre flat, marking a chilling shift in how Greater Manchester’s criminals wield technology for vengeance.

This high-tech hit, dubbed the “iPad hit”, exposed the “dog eat dog” underworld, as one judge later described it. Police hailed their probe as a “ground-breaking digital investigation” that turned the killers’ tools against them.

What Sparked the Deadly Feud Between McGrath and Henry?

The rivalry ignited at least two years before the murder. Henry, then 31 and five years McGrath’s senior, had been shot at The Railway pub in Clayton Bridge 12 months prior, with a bullet still lodged in his back. As detailed by Damon Wilkinson in the Manchester Evening News, police described it as a “bitter feud”, with McGrath emerging as one of “four names” in the investigation.

McGrath voluntarily attended a police station but refused to provide a statement. He was never arrested or charged over the incident. Around the same time, the pair clashed in Manchester city centre when McGrath “blanked” Henry. They exchanged numbers and arranged a “straightener” – a fist fight – next to the Navigation pub in Ancoats.

There, Henry allegedly arrived on a bicycle, pulled a gun from his jacket, and tried to shoot McGrath. The weapon jammed, foiling the attempt, according to evidence later presented in court.

How Did Henry Plan the High-Tech Assassination?

Refusing another face-to-face, a furious Henry turned to surveillance. In April 2014, four GPS trackers were purchased from a shop in Stockport. The first was hidden under McGrath’s car a month before the shooting but was discovered by a mechanic during an MOT.

Following the find, McGrath phoned Henry, saying: “What are you putting a tracker on my car for? You’ve got my phone number, just call me and I’ll tell you where I am and we’ll have it out.” Henry replied that he had paid someone to “do him in”, as recounted by John Scheerhout in the Manchester Evening News.

Undeterred, Henry’s right-hand man, Troy Beckford, 23, from Lowerfields Gardens, Golborne in Wigan, placed a second tracker on an Audi S3 part-owned by McGrath. This revealed McGrath’s location at the Sheldon Arms in Ashton-under-Lyne on the evening of 4 October 2014.

Meanwhile, Henry monitored from his Manchester city centre apartment via an iPad – a device never recovered but linked through mobile phone cell site data.

What Happened During the Sheldon Arms Shooting?

Sat in the Sheldon Arms pub drinking a J20 and chatting with mates, McGrath had no inkling of the attack. As he entered the Audi’s driver’s seat, a stolen Suzuki Bandit motorbike pulled up. Pillion passenger Remi Adams, 33, from Dartmouth Road, Whitefield, dismounted and fired four shots from a .45 pistol.

Adams initially thought he had missed. In reality, one bullet passed close to McGrath’s heart, piercing his lung after entering his back. Miraculously, McGrath drove about a mile to the Ashton police station, collapsing and dying at the front door.

CCTV captured the killers moments before. Inside the pub, patrons heard loud noises but saw nothing; not a single witness came forward despite the public nature of the hit.

How Did Police Unravel the Plot Without Witnesses?

McGrath, known to police for a prior cocaine dealing conviction, prompted a wall of silence. The breakthrough came when officers found the tracker under the Audi. Its SIM card traced back to the Stockport shop, revealing four sold together.

Cell site analysis linked the iPad to Henry’s city centre flat. Henry’s phone contacts showed two “murder phones” activated on the eve of the killing – one used by Adams, the other by Henry to direct him.

John Scheerhout of the Manchester Evening News reported that painstaking CCTV review from the Sheldon Arms showed a figure near the Suzuki Bandit. After thousands of views, detectives spotted a blue light in three frames: Henry’s call to Adams confirming McGrath’s location.

Post-hit, Adams erred by using his murder phone to book a taxi home to Whitefield. The cab firm recorded him saying “we will get this f***er”, assuming McGrath survived. Police seized the tape.

CCTV also showed Henry and Beckford arriving at the flat just before iPad activation. This digital trail formed a 148-page dossier with 1,664 phone calls, movements, CCTV, trackers, and iPad data – crucial without traditional witnesses.

Who Were Convicted and What Sentences Did They Receive?

The evidence proved decisive. In June 2016, at Manchester Crown Court, Anthony Henry of no fixed abode, Troy Beckford of Golborne, Wigan, and Jace Smith, 31, of Charlestown Road, Blackley, were found guilty of murder and jailed for life at Liverpool Crown Court.

Remi Adams was convicted in November 2016 on a majority verdict. As the foreman read it out, Adams shouted at McGrath’s grieving mother Marie in the public gallery: “I’m still alive. I’m not dead am I? I’m alive, not dead. I’m not lying in a grave, me.”

Jailing Henry, Mr Justice Goss condemned the “dog eat dog” gangland world, stating: “There was never any doubt this murder was a planned killing.” Damon Wilkinson of the Manchester Evening News covered the trials, noting how the technology that enabled the hit became the gang’s undoing.

Why Is This Case a Milestone in Gangland Investigations?

Senior detectives called it the “digital investigation”, highlighting how Greater Manchester criminals now exploit GPS, apps, and devices for scores. The case, as reported extensively by the Manchester Evening News team, showcased forensic tech’s power in overcoming silence.