Hero policeman, stabbed on duty, to be honoured at Buckingham Palace
During the brutal attack in 2012, Sergeant Mark Wright, from Banbridge, was stabbed several times and suffered horrific injuries to his head and body.
He had been confronted by a man who had assaulted a woman and locked himself inside with her and two very young children.
Unknown to the officer the man was armed with two knives.
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Hide AdDespite the danger, Sgt Wright forced his way into the room where he was stabbed by the man several times and suffered dreadful injuries.
Furthermore, despite being badly hurt, he wrestled the man to the ground. The perpetrator also tried to stab one of Sgt Wright’s colleagues in the throat.
Speaking when he was nominated for the award, Sergeant Wright said: “I am extremely humbled and honoured to have been nominated for the Queen’s Gallantry Medal. Our job as police officers is to protect lives and to keep people safe and on that night in question I was only doing my job protecting the individuals within the house.
“I will be accepting this award on behalf of all my colleagues with in the Police Service of Northern Ireland as this was a team effort.”
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Hide AdSouth Area Co-Ordinator, Chief Superintendent Alywin Barton added at the time: “I am hugely proud of Sergeant Wright and his colleagues. They have been recognised for their heroism and bravery.
“Sergeant Wright put his life in real danger and doing so protected and indeed saved the lives of others.”
The man was arrested, charged and sentenced to seven years in prison.