Trio who saved stabbed neighbour given bravery awards

Three neighbours who stepped in to help save a 73-year-old woman who had been stabbed 18 times by her son have been given special police commendations.

The trio were alerted after hearing screams and the repeated sound of a car horn coming from a driveway outside their homes in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Geraldine Baddley went out and tried to grab the attacker, with her husband Phillip then pinning him to the ground, before being joined by John Harrop, who was himself stabbed in the leg.

All three have been presented with a Chief Constable's Commendation for their bravery following the attack, which happened in the early hours of 11 July 2022.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “Without their quick thinking and heroic, actions, the unprovoked attack could have been fatal."

He described them as "the epitome of amazing neighbours" and said the woman they saved would be "forever grateful".

"It is without doubt that the selfless actions of all three brave individuals saved the life of their elderly female neighbour," he added.

Marc Weaver, 49, of Cumeragh Lane, Preston, was found guilty of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm and sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Weaver had been lying in wait for his mother to return to her home in Home Farm Road after a night playing bingo.

Chief Constable Roberts noted how the neighbours had already been praised by His Honour Judge Steven Everett during Weaver's trial and were "indeed deserving of the Chief Constable's Commendation".

Cheshire Police said the woman, who had been sitting in her car when her neighbours found her, had suffered stab wounds across her forehead, neck, chest, abdomen, right leg and both hands.

Weaver had used a self-made weapon consisting of two large kitchen knives bound together at the handles.

The woman underwent extensive surgery and many months of treatment and therapy before eventually recovering.

Mr Harrop suffered a deep stab wound to his leg and also underwent surgery, being unable to walk for many months and also resulting in a large scar.

Mr Baddley sustained grazes to his abdomen and hands during the incident.

Following Weaver's conviction in July 2023, Det Insp David Hutcheon said it was "a devastating case that has had a huge impact on the families involved, as well as our local community".

He said: “We still don’t know the reasons behind why Weaver stabbed his mother that day as he refused to answer any questions on interview despite our detectives’ best efforts to find out what had triggered such a violent, life-threatening incident."

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