|
|
 |
| |
Nurul Islam and police Borough Commander Dominic Clout with the award-winners at the town hall |
Crime-fighter heroes receive top honours for their bravery
Pub regulars took on knifeman l Lone cop tackled cannabis-smoking thieves with £18k on train
THEY knew he was armed with a large knife, and had seen his friend slash the neck of an innocent bystander, but it did not deter three heroes from giving chase and holding a violent, drug-crazed attacker until the police arrived.
The dramatic events in Swains Lane, Highgate, where regulars of the Duke of St Albans pub went from enjoying a quiet pint after work to saving the life of a victim of a random assault, was just one of the stories of bravery heard at the Town Hall on Friday.
Camden’s top cop Dominic Clout presented commendation certificates to his officers and members of the public who had shown exceptional courage over the past year.
Car-washers Adrian Scutelnicu and Catalin Neghura and waiter Pavel Cipprian were among those honoured. The ceremony heard how they had been in the Duke of St Albans last May when a man they had been playing darts with suddenly turned aggressive. Drunk and high on drugs, he randomly plunged a broken bottle deep into the neck of a regular.
As the trio went to help the victim, they saw his attacker approaching the pub with two other men, intent on causing further damage. Armed with large knives, they threatened to kill everyone in the pub as terrified regulars barricaded the doors and waited for the police to arrive.
Recalling the incident, Mr Scutelnicu said: “We were minding our business, but there was a man who was very drunk. He just suddenly turned and smashed a bottle into someone’s neck.
“We heard this massive commotion outside so we went to see what was happening. This guy was clutching his neck, and there was blood everywhere. We tried to calm him down while an ambulance was called.”
But the victim’s attacker was not going to finish there.
Mr Scutelnicu added: “Suddenly, from no-where, two of the attacker’s friends arrived. We saw them passing really big knives between themselves.”
The situation changed when police sirens were heard and the men fled.
Mr Scutelnicu added: “We chased one of them down the street and caught up with him. He put up a hell of fight and was threatening us.”
After a struggle – the man was still armed – the three managed to hold him down until police officers arrived.
Others honoured at the ceremony included Inspector Alun Jervis, the officer who was on duty during the Camden Market fire in February last year. He co-ordinated the response to the blaze and helped evacuate Camden Town’s busy pubs.
One of the first people on the scene, Inspector Jervis had to clear thousands of people away from the danger area and ensure that his staff were still able to answer emergency calls elsewhere in the borough while the massive fire raged.
Others were praised for their diligent detective work. DC Kevin Brocklesby unravelled a major fraud that had seen Hampstead estate agent Malcolm Green attempt to fleece a man suffering from a mental illness of around £500,000. He tracked the suspect across Europe and brought him to justice.
Kentish Town PC Christopher Malone was commended for arresting two suspects while on his way home from work. PC Malone, who lives in Milton Keynes, was catching the train home after a long shift when he smelt a cloud of cannabis lingering around two fellow passengers. Although acting alone, he stopped and searched them both – and discovered one was carrying £4,000 in cash. When he searched the second man, he found a further £14,000.
A covert phone call to colleagues revealed that both were well known to the police and had criminal records for serious violence and robbing cash delivery vans. PC Malone calmly kept talking to them, while he discreetly told the train’s guard to ensure there were officers waiting at the first stop to help him arrest the pair.
Superintendent Roger Smalley, who read the citation for PC Malone, said: “It was an excellent piece of work – he was all on his own and commanded the pair with great authority, just after completing a 12-hour shift.” |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
