Bravery award for West Yorkshire PCs who disarmed sword killers

The four officers - (L-R) PCs Richard Knowles, Daniel Broderick, Elizabeth Brook and Anthony Dutton - flanked by Police Federation national vice-chair Ché Donald and national chair John Apter

Police officers who arrested two teenagers armed with a samurai sword as they hacked to death a factory worker have received a national bravery award.

The four West Yorkshire constables disarmed the attackers outside a pharmaceuticals company in Huddersfield in January last year.

Robert Wilson, 53, died after being stabbed more than 100 times.

Kiyran Earnshaw, 18, and Luke Gaukroger, 16, were jailed for life after pleading guilty to murder.

The four constables who confronted them - Daniel Broderick, Elizabeth Brook, Anthony Dutton and Richard Knowles - received the 2021 national Police Federation award for bravery at a ceremony in central London on Thursday.

Recalling the incident, PC Brook, who had only been a police officer for two weeks, said: "It was like a movie, that's how I remember it.

"It was slow motion. We didn't realise what we were seeing.

"A detective inspector later said this was the worst he had ever seen. He said it was absolutely horrendous, and you've dealt with it within the first two weeks of your career."

Robert Wilson died in the attack outside the Huddersfield factory where he worked

During their trial at Leeds Crown Court in September 2020, the court heard how Earnshaw and Gaukroger were heavily intoxicated at the time they had carried out the "frenzied and senseless attack".

They chased and attacked the father of two and another man after being asked to leave the factory car park.

PC Dutton said: "The bloke with the samurai sword turned around and looked towards us, but carried on with his hacking, sawing motion just as though if he didn't care."

"He didn't care about what he was doing, and it was just barbaric, inhumane."

Kiyran Earnshaw (left) and Luke Gaukroger took part in the "frenzied and senseless" attack

Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the "dedication and conscientiousness" of all the nominees.

"It is this unflinching bravery, alongside your dedication and conscientiousness, that inspires my steadfast support for the police," he said.

Police Federation chairman John Apter, who presented the awards, praised the "outstanding bravery and professionalism" of the officers.

"Daniel, Liz, Ant and Richard represent the very best of policing, and fully deserve all the recognition they will rightly receive," he said.

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