Brave hero and victim speak about 'scary' Spalding stabbing

A have-a-go-hero who grabbed hold of a man after he’d just stabbed someone in a Spalding town centre street spoke of the ‘scary’ nature of the incident.

Humble Steven Murray witnessed Joe Taylor being stabbed in daylight in Station Street just after 4pm on Monday afternoon.

The Scotsman heard a commotion from inside the Sense charity shop and went out to see what was going on.

He then saw the stabbing take place before grabbing the knifeman from behind and holding onto him until the police arrived.

He added: “At the end of the day it was really scary.

“I didn’t think he still had the knife in his hand but he threw it away.”

He did not see his actions as especially brave, saying: “I just couldn’t do anything else.

“That was just me being me.

“Anybody can do anything.”

Mr Murray has given a statement to the police about the incident.

He explained: “The police said ‘not all heroes wear capes but you took a life and death situation into your hands and could’ve been the next one’.”

Mr Murray was stabbed in the arm himself in 2015 - and has since suffered flashbacks to that incident. He will be getting support from the police crisis team.

He has also been contacted by the family of victim Mr Taylor to thank him for stepping in.

Mr Taylor, of Spalding, said he did not have a clue who his assailant was.

He said: “I felt a warm thing in my chest and then realised it was blood.

“It hit my chest bone - it’s lucky it wasn’t in an organ.

“I am OK.”

Mr Taylor, born and bred in Boston, was surprised by the incident but said he was calm and ‘alright’, after spending a night in Peterborough Hospital.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the stabbing - and say the incident is believed to have started in the vicinity of Boots in Hall Place.

It’s thought that the Sense charity shop closed early, with customers safely taken out of the back.

If you have any information or CCTV footage of the incident, call 101 quoting incident 286 of February 7.

• Police have charged Aurel Irimia (46) of Spalding, with wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon. He has been remanded in police custody to attend Lincoln Magistrates Court today (Wednesday).