One-eyed murderer Dale Cregan who killed two female police officers tells family 'I want to die' Dale Cregan, 30, is said to feel remorse and hopes to get incurable cancer Jailed for life without parole in June, he's at Ashworth unit on Merseyside Cregan's family are now in hiding after man knifed in attack apparently meant for them Innocent Anthony Riley, 59, whose daughter has same name as Cregan's sister, was slashed in the face when he answered the door in Manchester Police issue efit of suspect in what they say was case of mistaken identity By Harriet Arkell Police killer Dale Cregan, 30, is said to have realised he will never be free and now wishes to develop incurable cancer Police killer Dale Cregan has told his relatives he is sorry for what he did and hopes to develop incurable cancer and die, it was reported today. Cregan, 30, who was jailed for life in June for killing policewomen Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, in a gun and grenade attack, is said to believe he deserves to die for the double murder in Manchester in September 2012.. Cregan's new-found remorse, which comes as his family has gone into hiding after a man was knifed in what police believe was an attack intended for them, is said to have developed after the length of his sentence dawned on him. A source told the Mirror: 'He knows he'll never be freed from prison and the enormity of what he did is starting to dawn on him. He is praying he dies early. He told his family: "I'm not going to kill myself but I wish I had cancer."' Cregan is being held at high-security Ashworth psychiatric hospital on Merseyside, where Moors murderer Ian Brady, 75, is a fellow inmate. He was told he would die in prison when he was jailed for life without parole in June this year after a trial sparked by a four-month crime spree in 2012. Cregan was already on the run for the murders of David Short, 46, and son Mark, 23, when he killed the two policewomen after luring them to a house with a fake 999 call before shooting them 32 times on the doorstep and then throwing a grenade at them. Today it emerged that Dale Cregan's family was in hiding following an attack on a man in a Manchester suburb a week ago that police believe was intended for Cregan's sister, Stacey. Secure unit: Cregan is being held at Ashworth secure psychiatric unit on Merseyside, home also to Ian Brady Mistaken identity: Manchester police have issued this efit of a man who knifed an innocent man in the face in what they believe was an attack intended for Cregan's sister, Stacey Innocent Anthony Riley, 59, was knifed by a man who knocked on his door in Droylsden last Monday morning and asked if Cregan's sister Stacey lived there. Mr Riley, who has a daughter also called Stacey, fought off the attacker and was then taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries, which police say are not life-threatening. Detective Inspector Richard Hunt, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'As a result of comments made by the offender, we believe this is a case of mistaken identity.' Police have appealed for help in tracing the attacker, who is described as Asian, aged around 30, and 5ft 10in-6ft tall, and have issued an efit photograph of him. After the murders of the Shorts, it was reported that a friend of theirs had offered £20,000 to anyone who would kill Cregan in retaliation. Cregan's killing spree, the result of a long-standing Manchester gangland feud, began in May last year when he murdered Mark Short, 23, in a Droylsden pub. In August 2012, Cregan went to David Short's house and shot him nine times before throwing a grenade at his body, which blew it apart. He later told a police psychiatrist he had had dreamt of killing Short for years, though he regretted not going back and cutting his head off. It is believed Cregan then developed a hatred of Greater Manchester Police, blaming them for not giving his family any protection. This resulted in his hoax 999 call which lured the two young policewomen to their deaths. PC Nicola Hughes, 23, and PC Fiona Bone, right, 32, were lured to their deaths by Dale Cregan last year