National award for courageous Solihull couple who took on burglar

Uncategorised • 24th June 2014

A husband and wife who tackled a knife-wielding burglar before helping police track down the violent thief have picked up national bravery medals for their heroic actions.

Peter and Lesley Scudamore were dropping a relative in Ronald Grove, Castle Bromwich, when they spotted an elderly neighbour’s window had been smashed.

Moments later Halesowen man Justin Irvine emerged carrying items he’d stolen from the war veteran’s house, including pocket watches he’d carried through both World Wars – but the couple blocked his escape path.

Despite being registered disabled Peter, who walks with a stick, challenged the 34-year-old and as the two fell to the floor Lesley also tried pinning him down.

Irvine managed to struggle free and left Lesley with a knife wound to her cheek that needed four stitches – but despite the ordeal the couple were composed enough to give officers a detailed description of their attacker.

Crucially they noticed he had a red blemish on his right cheek – and armed with that information Solihull Police officers used their local knowledge to identify Irvine as their number one suspect.

He was swiftly arrested from an address known to him, where he was found with bloodied hands and with the pocket watches – and after admitting two counts of wounding was jailed for five years.

Peter and Lesley, both 42-years-old and from Marston Green, were nominated by West Midlands Police for a Police Public Bravery Medal and on 19^th Lesley collected the accolades during an ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) ceremony in Harrogate alongside WMP Chief Constable Chris Sims and Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

nvestigating officer, Solihull Police Detective Constable Chris Burt, said: “They both acted bravely to protect the property of a vulnerable neighbour, a man in his 90s, and were determined the burglar wouldn’t get away with what were items of huge sentimental value.

“Undoubtedly this was a shocking incident for them and it would have been understandable had their minds gone blank when trying to provide officers with a description of their attacker.

“But, quite the contrary, they gave us comprehensive details – including recalling a red blemish on his face – and that pointed us immediately in Irvine’s direction. They thoroughly deserve their bravery medals.”

The courageous couple, who are both former West Midlands Police Special Constables, stepped in at around 5.30pm on 9th April 2012 with Irvine being jailed at Warwick Crown Court on 17th September that year.

Following his conviction they wrote a letter of thanks to Chief Constable Chris Sims in which they praised the swift actions of Solihull Police officers.

It read: “The professionalism shown not just by DC Chris Burt but by all the officers that turned out for the incident was second to none. It just shows what a great memory for faces DC Burt has and how important local police knowledge is.”