A YOUNG man who was beaten to death after trying to protect his friend from an unprovoked attack has been honoured with a posthumous award for heroism

Shane Tunney, from Norton, died from his injuries in July 2015, almost five weeks after he and his friend Anthony Kirk were attacked in Holly Street in Norton. He was 24.

During the attack Mr Tunney, who had already been punched to the ground, ran to nearby Norton Road and flagged down a taxi to ask for help.

The Northern Echo: Shane Tunney

HERO: Shane Tunney

At this point, he could have got into the taxi and escaped, but he chose to go back and try to help Mr Kirk, who was still being attacked.

Mr Tunney was attacked again and died in hospital without regaining consciousness.

At a ceremony at Stockton Town Hall on Friday, Mr Tunney’s mother and father, Jean and Keith Wilson, and his partner, Vix Cooper, received a Carnegie Hero Trust Fund certificate in recognition of his act of selfless bravery.

Mr Tunney’s name will also be inscribed in the Roll of Honour of the Trust.

Mrs Wilson, 53, said: “We are very proud of Shane and when we were asked if we wanted to have a ceremony for this award we said yes because we wanted to celebrate his life.

“People have been so lovely and having this ceremony is not just about doing something for our family, but also about doing something for the community to show that good people are recognised.

“What Shane did that night was just Shane being Shane. That’s how he was. He would never have left anybody.

“We’ve had people we don’t even know telling us stories about things he’s done – someone told us their car had broken down and Shane had helped them.

“An elderly man on the estate said Shane used to have a chat with him on his way to work and some days that was the only person he would speak to. He had a flag and asked if he could lower it on the day of Shane’s funeral.

“Shane would do these lovely things but he wouldn’t come and tell us about it. He was just doing what he did, being who he was. You hear a lot about the bad things but you don’t hear about the good things.”

Miss Cooper, 25, added: “Hearing about the award was a lovely relief because I felt like it was a ray of sunshine in what had been such a stormy and cloudy time. It just feels like it is something good coming out of something so bad.

“I felt Shane was going to be remembered as the lad who was murdered in Norton and didn’t want him to just be a statistic. This is a much nicer way of remembering him.”

The Carnegie Hero Fund Trust UK was established in 1908 following on from the success of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, founded in America in 1904. Its continuing aim is to recognise civilian heroism.

David Walker, the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust UK chairman, said: “I am very privileged to honour Shane on behalf of the Trustees of the Carnegie Hero Fund and to see his name added to the historic Roll of Honour.

“The Trustees only recognise a small number of cases in each year, and sadly in this case, the ultimate sacrifice of the loss of life itself.”

The presentation was made by the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust chief executive, Nora Rundell, the Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees, Councillor Ken Dixon, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger.

Cllr Dixon said: “What Shane did took exceptional courage and it is very fitting that he has been recognised in this way. His family and friends are rightly very proud of him and the award of this honour will ensure he is remembered for his selflessness and bravery.”

Mr Coppinger added: “Shane’s bravery and dedication towards his friend Anthony ultimately cost him his life, but it’s these honourable qualities for which he will always be remembered.

“I hope Shane’s family can take some comfort in this national recognition of his courage, which will become his legacy for years to come.”

The Trust awards a Certificate and Citation to all whose heroism is recognised and their names are hand-inscribed on vellum in a beautifully illuminated Roll of Honour, which is kept at the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, Dunfermline, and is unique to this Trust.

The Hero Fund has very specific guidelines applied to reported acts of heroism. Shane’s actions in remaining at the scene of the unprovoked attack in June 2015 and his attempts to prevent further injury to his friend fulfilled Hero Fund criteria and his name has been added to over 6,000 already recorded in the Roll of Honour of the Trust.

For more information about the Carnegie Hero Fund Trust, visit www.carnegiehero.org.uk

  •  Kearan Terry Davis, 18, and his cousin Kieron Harry Davis, also 18, were both sentenced to life for Mr Tunney's murder. Five other people received sentences of between three years nine months and seven years for their part in Mr Tunney's death.