A MAN who was stabbed in the neck with a butterfly knife has praised the swift actions of police who stemmed the bleeding and saved his life. 

The victim, who was attacked in Bishop Auckland in March 2020, said: “I didn’t used to get on with the police but that night they saved my life – it’s definitely changed the way I think about them.”

First on scene were PCs Gareth Irvine, Steve Graham, Matt Gumby and Abbie Dixon who leapt into action to persuade the victim to lie down before physically clamping his carotid artery to stem the bleeding – a manoeuvre which saved his life.

Read more: County Durham man jailed after convictions for stabbing and rape

PC Dixon, who was fresh out of her training at the time, said: “It was my first really severe job and definitely an eye-opener.

“I just remember all this blood spurting out of his neck – I can’t even describe how horrible it was to see but instinct just kicked in and we all tried to keep everyone calm and deal with the situation as best we could while we waited for paramedics to arrive.”

The victim was rushed to hospital and underwent life-saving surgery, spending time in intensive care where he had to be fed through a tube.

His attacker, Jamie Ian Marshall, was on the run and officers from response to CID worked around the clock to piece together what happened and track Marshall down.

Marshall, of Edward Street, Bishop Auckland, was charged with attempted murder but cleared by a jury and instead found guilty of wounding causing grievous bodily harm at Newcastle Crown Court in January.

While remanded in custody, the 42-year-old also went on trial at Durham Crown Court last month after being charged with the rape of a teenage girl last November.

He was found guilty of that crime too as the court heard how he left his young victim with flashbacks and sleepless nights following the attack.

Marshall appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday (June 20) to be sentenced.

Read more: Revealed: Locations that could benefit from Ferryhill station reopening

The court heard how he thrust a butterfly knife into the neck of his victim, who was possibly only saved by the swift actions of the officers first on scene who managed to stem the blood loss as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

“I thought I was going to die that night. He’s a monster,” the victim said. “I remember thinking about my grandkids and that I wouldn’t see them again.”

The victim said he still struggled to swallow food and move his mouth and neck from the nerve damage and thanked the officers for saving his life.

Handing him an 18-year prison sentence, the judge told Marshall he posed a “significant risk to members of the public” and also made him subject to a five-year extended licence period as well as placing him on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054