Chief Constable's Awards 2008

Date: Monday 1 September 2008

Venue: the Councillor’s Chamber, Salford Civic Centre

The Mayor of Salford, Councillor Margaret Morris, and the newly sworn in Chief Constable presented commendations for bravery along with long service and good conduct awards to police officers and staff from across Greater Manchester.

One of the recipients, Sergeant Andrew Weaver, received both the Chief Constable's High Commendation and the Chief Constable's Commendation for his bravery in confronting armed men on two occasions.

The Deputy County Commander of the St John Ambulance Association, Mr Gary Saynor, joined the Mayor and Chief Constable to present the St John Ambulance Award.

Further details of award recipients can be found below.

Details of Awards

Chief Constable's High Commendation:

It is the practice of the Chief Constable to officially commend an officer or a member of police staff for either exceptional police work or duty requiring outstanding courage and bravery.

Recipients:

• Sergeant Andrew Weaver, Salford Division (area of residence: Warrington)
• Constable May Preston, Salford Division (area of residence: Tyldesley)

The Chief Constable awards his High Commendation to Sergeant Andrew Weaver and Constable May Preston, for their outstanding courage and bravery when they confronted a violent man armed with a machete.

On 27 February 2007, police received a report of a man brandishing a weapon at a block of flats in Halton Bank, Pendleton. On arrival the officers discovered that the male had been running up and down the landings of the premises, screaming at the residents while carrying a large knife.

As the officers began to search for the offender, he suddenly appeared outside one of the flats holding a large machete. Fearing for the safety of both other residents and his colleague, Sergeant Weaver approached the man in an attempt to calm down the situation, but in response the offender raised the weapon above his head and aimed it directly at the officer. Sergeant Weaver immediately reacted and tried to disarm him by using his baton, causing the offender to fall onto the floor.

Constable Preston immediately ran to assist, and after a violent struggle with the offender still holding the machete, they were able to wrestle it away from his grip and arrest him.

On 24 September 2007, the offender appeared before Manchester Crown Court charged with offences of affray and possession of a bladed article, and received a nine month suspended sentence with a 15 month supervision order.

Chief Constable's Commendation:

For either exceptional police work or duty requiring outstanding courage and bravery.

Recipients:

• Sergeant Andrew Robb, Salford Division (area of residence: Tyldesley)
• Sergeant Andrew Weaver, Salford Division (area of residence: Warrington)
• Constable Lee Gregory, Salford Division (area of residence: Stretford)
• Constable Adele Hall, Salford Division (area of residence: Wigan)

The Chief Constable awards his Commendation to Sergeants Andrew Robb and Andrew Weaver, together with Constables Lee Gregory and Adele Hall, for their courage and bravery when they confronted a violent man armed with a knife.

On 1 June 2007, police received information that a man had absconded from hospital without medication and was a risk to the public due to his mental health. The man was also known to be extremely violent and had a history of committing sexual offences with young girls.

Constable Hall and another officer responded and on arrival at the man’s home address in Salford forced their way into the house to search for him. The offender, who was in an extremely agitated state, immediately confronted them, and as they spoke to him in an attempt to calm him down he picked up a kitchen knife and attempted to attack them with the blade.

Fearing for their safety the officers immediately withdrew, but after a short time they became concerned for the man’s welfare and decided to re-enter the house, where they tried to calm the offender down before the arrival of police colleagues. Sergeants Weaver and Robb and Constable Gregory arrived at the scene to discover the man at the front door of the house brandishing a large knife and a pair of scissors. One of the officers again tried to calm him down, and after reasoning with him the offender placed down his weapons inside the house and started to walk towards the officers.

However, as the officers approached him, the male immediately ran away into the kitchen and once again picked up a large kitchen knife and threatened them. The officers quickly grabbed hold of the offender and managed to overpower him, and with assistance from Sergeants Robb and Weaver they were able to safely restrain him and recover the weapon.

The offender was later taken to Meadowbrook Hospital for treatment.

St John Ambulance Award:

The St. John Ambulance’s objective is to spread knowledge of first aid, nursing and allied subjects as widely as possible among the general public and in industry, and to provide a voluntary practical service in these subjects for the community.

St John Ambulance Association bestows its Letter of Commendation on those who have used their knowledge of first aid to save (or attempt to save) the life of those suffering from heart failure or injury.

Recipient: Constable Ian Hall, Salford Division (area of residence: Wigan)

The Deputy County Commander of the St John Ambulance Association presents their Certificate of Commendation to Constable Ian Hall, in recognition of his professionalism when he administered first aid to a man who had been viciously assaulted.

At 5.30pm on 5 May 2007, Constable Hall and two other officers were on patrol at Chapel Street in Salford when they discovered a man lying in the middle of the road covered in blood. The man had a severe head wound that was bleeding profusely, together with serious facial injuries to the extent that his cheek had lacerated from his jawbone.

Such was the speed of the blood loss, it was evident that there was a danger of the man bleeding to death before an ambulance arrived. Constable Hall and the other officers worked together as a team, and after quickly fetching bandages from their police vehicle they wrapped the man’s wounds and applied pressure in an attempt to stem the flow of blood until the arrival of paramedics.

The man was taken to hospital where he was later released after receiving medical treatment. His injuries had been so severe, it had taken medical staff 45 minutes to control the bleeding, and he would have undoubtedly died had it not been for the officers’ intervention.

For further information contact: Max Bowie, GMP Public Relations Officer on 0161 856 2761 / 2284 or 07979 706797