This is the terrifying moment a man who had just stabbed his girlfriend to death leaps out of a second floor window onto a car below, before continuing his violent rampage.
Police released CCTV footage of Michael Marler’s leap after he was jailed for life, with a minimum of 21 years, for the murder of Danielle Richardson on 13 February this year.
In what police described as “the most brutal attack”, 24-year-old Richardson was stabbed 15 times by her boyfriend, who “showed nothing but rage” and left her “with no chance of survival”.
Manchester Crown Court was told how a day before the killing, Marler, 37, drove Richardson to a flat on Swan Street, where they had a reservation for two days.
An argument the following day led to Marler beating Richardson, who he then “manically stabbed” to death before dialing 999.
Police said he hung up before the call was answered and then leapt from the flat window, where CCTV captured him rebounding off the roof of a black Hyundai and on to the footpath.
He then got into the passenger’s side door and assaulted a 59-year-old woman who sat in the driver’s seat, before continuing to look for other passersby to attack on the road.
The next victim was a 24-year-old man. A number of cars in Ancoats, Manchester, were also damaged.
Several calls were made to Greater Manchester Police, who arrested Marler on Oldham Road several minutes later.
Richardson’s body was later discovered at the Swan Street flat. On Friday, her family told the court of their heartbreak and how “loved” she was by all who knew her.
“We cannot express how devastated we are that her life has been stolen from her,” they said.
“Dannii is missed every minute of every day. Today her killer has been sentenced, and justice has been served.
“We can try to repair our heartache, although no matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring Dannii back or make our loss any easier.”
The family said that now Marler had been jailed they hoped to “attempt to move on”, but pledged to “never forget Dannii or the many memories she has given us”.
Senior investigating officer Bob Tonge, of Greater Manchester Poilice’s Major Incident Support Unit, branded Marler’s actions “despicable”.
He said: “Danielle was subjected to the most brutal attack at the hands of Marler. He showed nothing but rage as he relentlessly stabbed her body multiple times, leaving her with no chance of survival.
“Despite this terrifying and vicious attack, we know Danielle bravely tried to defend herself and fight for her life.”
Tonge said the pain the murder had caused Richardson’s family was “truly heartbreaking and no family should ever be put through agony like this”.
He added: “I hope today’s result goes some way to helping them move forwards from this horrendous ordeal and heal as a family.”