Uniformed Hero nomination – Staffordshire Police officers who dealt with the Flax Street incident

Uniformed Hero nomination – Staffordshire Police officers who dealt with the Flax Street incident

Staffordshire Police officers who dealt with an incident where two young children were killed by their mother have been nominated as Uniformed Heroes in the Your Heroes Awards in recognition of their ‘incredible bravery and compassion’.

The incident in Flax Street, Stoke, resulted in the death of a seven-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother and the attempted murder of their father, all by the mother.

The first officers at the scene included a PC who was only on her second day as an operational police officer.

They give immediate life support to try to save the lives of the children, who are described as having horrific injuries.

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said: “This nomination is not in recognition of a positive outcome achieved, but in the incredible effort and bravery they showed to give everything they could to attempt to save the lives of these two young children.

“The traumatic events the officers witnessed and worked amongst will no doubt haunt them forever. Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, all officers treated victims, witnesses and the wider community with respect and dignity whilst ensuring the initial response to the critical incident and valiant attempts to preserve life were at the forefront of their minds.

“This was truly a once in a career incident that I hope no one has to deal with again. It was an incident that tested everyone and the way the officers responded was impeccable, both collectively and individually, operationally and emotionally and it required them to step up to the plate and demonstrate their skills and knowledge and use their experience in many different ways. But as well as this it brought out officers’ natural and human characteristics, all that makes them great people.

“What I took from the incident the most was the overwhelming sense of pride from witnessing the care and compassion shown to each other which was something that will stay with me forever. Gone was their profession and beyond the status of colleagues came their friendships and the connections they clearly have with one another. The support, care and attention they gave one another was second to none and no one was left wanting. The officers were there for each other when it counted and it’s what makes the police unique.”

On June 11, 2023 police were called to reports of a man being stabbed at a car wash in Campbell Road, Stoke and information was received that the offender had allegedly killed her children.

PCs Andrea Brearley and Alex Potts attended the car wash where they found the victim, who had a stab wound to his side.

Meanwhile PCs David McEntire and Ebony Goodwin, who was on day two as an operational police officer, went to Flax Street and found a seven-year child with ‘horrific injuries’ as well as the suspect. PC Bayley Bennett arrived at the scene, arrested the suspect and removed her from the property.

PCs McEntire and Goodwin started CPR on the child ‘ in harrowing circumstances’. They were joined at the scene by PCs James Allen and Andrew Alcock from the Armed Response Unit. Between them, the officers carried out intensive intermediate life support to try to save the young girl’s life.

On arrival of paramedics, including advanced trauma staff, the officers’ efforts were of such a high standard that they continued to support the lifesaving attempt.

It was PC Alcock who searched the rest of the property and tragically located the little girl’s 11-year-old brother in an upstairs bedroom. He had also received critical injuries.

Sergeant Elliot Waller and PCs Demi Clark, Emily Osbourne and Natalie Millward had by now joined the scene and took turns to perform immediate CPR on the boy.

Colleagues including PCs Stacey Collet, Kimberley Trotter, Ryan Dzierzkowski, Angeliki Vogiatzi Warren Dooley Sergeant Aimee Holdcroft, Sergeant Shevlin secured the scene, set-up cordons, reassured friends and neighbours at the scene and supported the Air Ambulance crew.

At the car wash, PC Jake Wild escorted the father to hospital, supported him throughout and had the extremely difficult task of breaking the news that the children had sadly passed away at the scene.

On July 1, 2024 the children’s mother was ruled to have killed her two children and to have stabbed her partner at a Trial of Facts at Nottingham Crown Court. She is now subject to an indefinite Hospital Order.