Ben Pilott and Thomas Endersby are awarded the National Pubwatch Bravery & Good Conduct Award for saving the life of a woman who was being stabbed with a knife.
The incident unfolded on the night of 17 January 2025 in Dover Town Centre. Ben and Thomas were on duty outside the Dizzy Donkey club, when they were approached by two terrified girls who had been on their way home from the cinema when they were threatened by a female offender, who was suffering from schizophrenia and was carrying a large kitchen knife.
The door staff put the girls inside the club for their safety and saw the offender approach another female victim who was on her way home from bingo. The door staff shouted a warning but were unable to prevent the victim being stabbed several times in the back. Her thick coat prevented serious injuries, but she suffered a large stab wound to her back which required hospital treatment.
Ben and Thomas ran to help, tackling the offender and prising the knife from her grip. The kitchen knife had a plastic handle and during the struggle Ben managed to snap the blade from the handle.
The case was heard at Canterbury Crown Court. Judge Simon James said that the offender had a long history of not taking medication and that her condition was made worse by alcohol and amphetamine abuse. She was detained in a secure psychiatric unit.
Judge Simon James praised the team’s bravery, saying their intervention almost certainly prevented a killing.
Unfortunately Thomas Endersby was unable to attend the award ceremony and Ben Pilott collected the award on his behalf.
