Hero dad steps in to disarm knife-wielding attacker in Ilford

Police cordon on Ley street (Image: Archant)

David Burgess was on his way to work on Monday, November 27 at 8.25am, when he heard women and children scream for help in Ley Street.

The courageous 30-year-old ran across the road and saw a man being stabbed.

“I didn’t know who the victim was at that point, but it didn’t matter,” he said.

“(The attacker) was an intimidating guy with a 5inch blade but I stood in front of him – the only thing I could think about was the children behind me.

“He was slashing the knife about and I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

David said he locked eyes with the man for a few seconds, before confronting him verbally but the man “didn’t bat an eyelid”.

“It was really scary but I managed to grab his hand and get the knife from him, and he ran off,” he added

“I heard the man on the floor cry in pain and it hurt me to see him like this – it was only then that I realised I used to go to the same school as him.”

David was humble about his involvement in the incident and said the only reason he commented when contacted by the Recorder was because he wanted fellow residents to know that there are good people in the community who stand up for others.

“It is not about him being someone I went to school with, I didn’t know it was him at first,” he said

“I went over because he was a fellow man.

“People need to have hope that others will help them.”

David, who dabbled in self-defence growing up, is not advocating that residents should step into dangerous situations and said you have to also think of your own safety.

“My family told me off after,” he said.

“They said I could have been hurt.

“I was shaking afterwards and made my way into work to have something to take my mind off it.”

A man has been charged with attempted murder.