On the night of 28 July 2023, two women, one of whom was known to Michael Brock, were enjoying a night out in Manchester. They returned to one of their homes in the early hours of 29 July 2023 with two men they had met earlier. A few hours later, one of the women received a Facebook friend request from someone using the name 'Mike David', which they suspected was Brock. Brock had an active restraining order against this woman, prohibiting him from contacting her.
Just after 6am on 29 July 2023, CCTV footage captured Brock heading to the property on Moston Lane, where he knew the woman lived. He entered the house carrying a rucksack containing a knife, a hammer, a foldable saw, a lighter, and accelerant-soaked rags, items detectives later determined were intended for an attempt to kill the woman. Upon entering and seeing the two men in the kitchen, Brock launched a vicious knife attack on them, inflicting serious and life-threatening injuries. One man also suffered a fractured skull and required extended hospital recovery.
The two women managed to escape the property barefoot and ran to Harpurhey Police Station to report the incident, assisted by members of the public who called 999. Officers arrived at the scene to find Brock restrained by the injured male victims, who were covered in blood. Brock was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and taken into custody. A search of his home on The Fairway in Moston uncovered additional knives, a bottle of propan alcohol, and a petrol canister, further evidencing his premeditated plan.
During questioning at the station, one of the women disclosed that Brock had raped her nearly three years prior. Following a thorough investigation by Greater Manchester Police's City of Manchester CID, Brock was charged with three counts: attempted murder of the two men, attempted murder of the woman, rape of the woman, and threats to kill. He was found guilty on 9 July 2024 at Manchester Crown Court.
On 11 April 2025, Brock, aged 40 and residing on The Fairway in Moston, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. Detective Inspector Natasha Feerick of City of Manchester CID stated: 'We strongly believe that Brock contacted the woman and arrived at her house in a meticulously planned and callous attempt to kill her, his plan failed when he was greeted with more people in the property than he expected.' She added: 'He launched a vicious and sustained attack on the two men who both received serious injuries as a result of Brock’s aggressive behaviour and now have to suffer with the consequences of his actions for life.' The investigation highlighted Brock's violation of the restraining order and his organised intent, as reported by Greater Manchester Police.
The bravery of the rape victim was commended by DI Feerick, who thanked her for supporting the case to its conclusion. This outcome, sourced from the official Greater Manchester Police news release, underscores the impact of Brock's actions on all involved, leaving lasting physical and mental scars.