A hero neighbour is set to receive a bravery award after seizing a knife from a woman who was carrying out a “frenzied” stabbing attack against her friend.
Paul Martin, now 39, from Old Swan, was working from home on April 14 2021 when he heard someone outside shouting for help.
He went outside and found his neighbour, Wesley Pemberton, covered in blood. After hearing that Mr Pemberton’s girlfriend Kelsey Anne Gielinck was being attacked by her friend Lauren Walsh in their home, Mr Martin rushed inside to intervene.
READ MORE: Dad found himself in court after chasing off home invader
Miss Gielinck, then aged 21, was stabbed 18 times in the attack, suffering wounds to her nose, face, chest, body and stomach, plus severed tendons in her right hand. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Walsh had stolen Miss Gielinck’s bank card and spent money on it on the morning of the attack.
Mr Martin is to be awarded The King’s Commendation for Bravery for seizing the knife away from Walsh, before staying with Ms Gielinck until an ambulance arrived.
Mr Martin told PA: “There was blood all over the place, I shouted ‘girls, what are you doing?’… she (Walsh) just froze and I walked over and actually took the knife from her, I was under the impression that she didn’t know what was going on.
“It was like a red mist had come over her, she looked at me with a blank expression on her face, I just took the knife from her and got Kelsey out of the house.”
A 2021 trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that former nursery nurse Walsh and Ms Gielinck had spent three hours talking alone in the house before the incident.
Ms Gielinck, who had contacted the police about the stolen card, did not suspect Walsh nor did the attacker admit that she was the thief.
At just after 3pm, Mr Pemberton entered the home and was on the phone when without warning Walsh slashed his girlfriend in the nose and the attack began.
Mr Pemberton, then 22, was stabbed in the chest, back and hand as he tried to escape the house to get help.
In December 2021, Walsh, aged 22, was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of two counts of attempted murder. Appearing for sentencing on January 21, 2022, Walsh was handed a life sentence due to her “significant risk” to the public.
The court heard that the victims intended to sell their home because they “felt horrific living in that house”, which acted as a constant reminder of the crime. Miss Gielinck’s victim impact statement said: “Despite our best efforts to clean, we still find droplets of blood which is horrid.”
Speaking about his gallantry award, Mr Martin added: “I’m pleasantly surprised, it was my wife who put me forward so I had no idea about it. It’s nice to hear that you get appreciated.
“It’s been three years now but I still keep in touch with the two people who got attacked, and really I just want to put it all behind me now.
“It’s something that happened and I’m just glad that they survived.”
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