Schoolboy saves life of child on holiday

Trial date for murder suspect YOUNGSTER PRAISED AFTER SWIMMING POOL RESCUE

A TRIAL date has been set for murder suspect Adam Parkin, who is accused of killing a primary school teacher.

The 35-year-old made his second appearance at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday to face allegations he murdered Julie Parkin and attempted to murder another victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The charges were not put to Parkin during the 30-minute hearing but a trial date was set for December 4, 2017.

Parkin, of Kirkwall Close, Sunderland, spoke only to confirm his name and that he understood the proceedings.

Mrs Parkin, 39, was discovered with fatal knife wounds at her home on Kirkwall Close, on June 27.

Police were called to the property shortly after midnight, where they found the body of the teacher. Mr Parkin was arrested at the scene. David and Blake Stephenson with Blake’s headteacher, Nicola Murray QUICK-THINKING schoolboy Blake Stephenson sprang into action to save a drowning child while on holiday.

The nine-year-old was in the swimming pool while in the Loire Valley, central France, when he spotted the lifeless body at the bottom.

His thoughts immediately turning to the welfare of the young boy, and the heroic primary school pupil swam down the bottom of the pool to bring him up to the surface for help.

Blake, who attends Kirk Merrington Primary School near Spennymoor, County Durham, said: “I saw he was lying on the bottom so I prodded him with my foot to check he wasn’t just seeing how long he could stay down there, but he didn’t move.

“I knew I had to help him so I dived down to the bottom and pulled him back up to the top with me.” Blake managed to drag the young French boy to the side of the pool and get help from adults, including his mum, who worked with another member of the public to perform CPR until emergency services arrived.

The young boy was placed in a medically-induced coma for several days, but tests have now shown that he will make a full recovery, thanks to Blake’s quick thinking.

Blake’s dad David said the family are “immensely proud” of his actions.

He said: “He’s a strong boy for his age and a good swimmer and I think his confidence in the water that he’s built up during his swimming lessons was a real help in this situation.”

Blake learned about the dangers of water and rescue in his school swimming lessons.

The school has also held water safety and drowning prevention lessons and assemblies as part of Durham County Council’s “Dying to be Cool Campaign”, to highlight the dangers of water, drowning and cold water shock. Blake’s head teacher, Nicola Murray, said: “Just weeks before this holiday, Blake had been doing life-saving skills as part of his school swimming lessons.

“Ironically, he never actually qualified for his certificate, but he’d obviously remembered those vital skills and was able to put them into practice, which just goes to show how important these lessons are.

“We’re all very proud of Blake here at Kirk Merrington Primary School.”

And Blake is now insisting that he should get his live-saving certificate.

He said: “Not everyone comes back from holiday and has saved someone’s life.”

Kenny MacDermid, national drowning prevention coordinator from the Royal Life Saving Society UK, praised Blake for showing true bravery and composure at such a young age.

For more information about the Dying to Be Cool campaign, visit www.durham.gov.uk/dyingtobecool Blake Stephenson, who rescued a drowning child while on holiday in France