Man, 45, ‘murdered’ in his own home by dognappers who stole his £3,000 pet

Donald Patience and his beloved dog (Image: PA) A dog owner was allegedly murdered in his own home by thieves who were targeting his beloved pet labradoodle. Police found the body of Donald Patience shortly after they were called to reports of Layla being dognapped. Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of the 45-year-old’s murder. Two of them, aged 27 and 41, were released pending further investigations while a third, 39, remains in custody. Tributes were paid to Mr Patience, known as Prentice. His ex-wife Kirsty posted: ‘This breaks my heart to have to write this. As a lot of you may have already seen, this week we lost an extremely incredible man.” ‘We are all truly heartbroken at this news, and we are all struggling to come to terms with his death.’ She added: ‘Despite what happened between us, Prentice was an amazing father and adored his children.’  Another heartbroken relative said their family had been left devastated by Mr Patience’s death. A post on social media said: ‘Please, if you know or have seen anything, please contact the police. Heartbreaking news for my family this week. You didn’t deserve to have your life taken in this way. Fly high Prent xx.’ Police had been called to a property in Radcliffe, in Bury, Greater Manchester, at around 10.30am on Tuesday when a passerby raised the alarm. One of the suspected dog thieves took the stolen labradoodle to a grooming salon ‘for a haircut’ after the owner was killed, it has now been claimed. The salon was said to be just 160 feet away from the scene of the crime. The dog was later recovered by police and is now being looked after by officials. Labradoodle puppies – a cross between a labrador and a poodle – can cost up to £3,000 and are one of the most popular new breeds of dog. Greater Manchester Police said yesterday that they believed it was a targeted attack. Doggnapping has been on the rise (Image: Getty ) On Friday, the house remained cordoned off and forensic officers were seen coming in and out of the building. The back window of the house was smashed and blue tarpaulin could be seen in the backyard. Several bouquets of flowers and a sympathy card had been left at the scene. It is understood police managed to retrieve the stolen dog after she was taken to the grooming parlour just yards from the victim’s house. Mick Hewitson, 58, who runs The Dog Shop, said a man had called in at around 10am on Tuesday asking him to cut his boss’s dog’s hair. He said: ‘I had only just opened up and this young man came in and asked me if I would do his dog for him, cut his hair. ‘The dog was an off-white labradoodle. I’d never seen the man before but he seemed calm. ‘He told me his boss had gone to Scotland and he wanted to get the dog’s hair cut while he was away.’ Mr Hewitson said he refused because he had an injured shoulder and too much work on. He added: ‘Half an hour later the police had rushed round, and that same man was arrested. ‘The police had hold of the same labradoodle.’ Mr Hewitson later told the Daily Express he did not know the victim nor his dog and had never trimmed its hair. One resident, who did not want to be named, yesterday said: ‘I was coming out of my house in the morning and there were police all over the road. There was a man, about 6ft, who had been arrested, and a curly dog. They were in the back of a police van.’ Neighbours described Mr Patience, who had three children, as a ‘quiet man who kept himself to himself’. A keen football fan, he was once pictured with the Premier League trophy following Manchester City’s title triumph. It was also claimed that his home may have been ­targeted before. Neighbour Catherine Roberts, 65, said: ‘About 12 months ago we had a letter put through the door asking if we had seen anyone go in his house, so I think he’d been ­burgled before. ‘In fact, I’ve never seen anyone go in or out of his house, not even him. I think he moved in two or three years ago. But one of my family had seen him walking his dog and said he was a very nice man, a quiet gentleman who kept himself to himself. It’s disgusting what has gone on.’ Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, described it as an ‘extremely distressing time’ for Mr Patience’s family and said they were doing all they could to find out what happened. She said: ‘Since we were made aware of this incident earlier this week our investigation has been swift and precise, with three arrested because of our inquiries, with one at the scene at the time of the suspected burglary. ‘I would like to reassure the local public, as I understand there will be alarm when finding out about this, but we are confident it is a targeted attack. ‘We now want to appeal to the local community for any eyewitness accounts or footage of any activity that we may be able to link to this investigation. We are also looking for people who may know Donald, have seen him walking his beloved white labradoodle in the local area, or have any knowledge of any activity at or near his address, which is an end terrace on Ainsworth Road, since August 18. ‘It is crucial we have as much detail as possible to help piece together what has happened in this tragic incident. ‘We are keeping all available lines of inquiry open but no matter how small, your piece of information may be that crucial bit of evidence we need that can help us with this investigation.’ Mr Patience’s ex-wife has previously told how their eldest child was a ‘miracle’ after he had three open heart operations before the age of five. He was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Speaking to the Bury Times in 2014, she said that after his first operation, doctors had to start pumping his heart again with their fingertips.