Stocksbridge man hailed for brave act

A 24-YEAR-OLD Stocksbridge man was recognised for his bravery at a police awards event in London recently.

Thomas Brearley, who came to the rescue of a man who had been stabbed, was hailed for his bravery at a glitzy ceremony on Tuesday October 30.

His instinctive actions placed him in danger, but prevented the victim suffering further injury.

In February 2017, Thomas was in the Spread Eagle pub in Penistone when he heard a commotion outside.

Thomas told Look Local:

I saw two men trying to grab another man out of a car. I didn’t think about it, I just knew that I had to help. I ran over and knocked one of them over. The other one tried to attack me but I managed to get everyone into the pub until the police came. He was stabbed twice in the back."

It was nice to receive the award and it was a good opportunity to go to London.”

Thomas received a gold medal for his bravery at The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) annual Police Public Bravery Awards.

Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Stephen Watson, hosted the awards at a hotel in London.

The ceremony was held to honour the brave members of the public who have placed themselves in dangerous situations, carrying out courageous and selfless acts to help protect others, defend their communities, prevent and detect crime and actively assist the police.

Amongst this year’s award winners were people who risked and, in some cases, lost their lives while trying to save others, people saving others from burning cars and homes, others foiling and detaining armed robbers, and people who stepped in to protect others from violent attacks.

Chief Constable Watson explained why the awards are so important.

These courageous acts are a tribute to the spirit and determination demonstrated by the public, often involving decisions made with little or no regard for personal safety. They serve to reinforce Robert Peel’s adage that ‘The police are the public and the public are the police."

These annual awards do not exist to encourage people to place themselves in danger, but represent the opportunity to pay tribute to those in the community who consider themselves ordinary people, yet have performed truly extraordinary acts of bravery.”