UK brothers dubbed heroes for stopping Sydney knifeman
Two British brothers hailed as heroes for tackling a knifeman linked to the death of a woman in Sydney have said they would do the same if it happened again because they are “protectors”.
Luke and Paul O’shaughnessy, from Bury, near Manchester, said they acted on instinct when a man wielding a large blade ran through the streets of the Australian city’s centre.
Racing down from their fourthfloor office, the brothers chased the attacker before tackling him and helping to pin him down with a chair and a milk crate.
Both said they were proud of their actions but denied they were heroes – despite police and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison commending them for helping to tackle the suspect.
Paul, 37, a former midfielder with Bury, said: “I didn’t even think about it. I just thought, ‘Is my brother going to be OK,’ as we ran towards him.”
He added: “Our values as brothers is we are protectors.”
Luke, 30, said: “I just wanted to make sure he couldn’t hurt anyone else. We’ve talked before about what we would do when we hear about these things happening around the world. We’re the kind of guys who ask questions later and act on instinct.”
He added: “If it happened again, I would do it again and act quicker.”
The pair, who run digital talent agency MAP Talent, were in their office on York Street when the drama unfolded at 3:15pm local time.
Luke said they spoke of the danger they were running into as they jumped into the lift to go and help.
The brothers said they detained the attacker until police arrived. “He had a knife,” Luke said. “It was next to him covered in blood.”
Other passersby, including two firefighters, also stopped to help.
Paul, a fatheroftwo who has lived in Sydney for 11 years, said he felt it was his way of giving back to a country that had welcomed him with open arms.
Police said they were investigating allegations the suspect yelled, “Allahu akbar” or “God is great” in Arabic, but are not treating it as a terror incident.
They said the suspect – a 21yearold from Maryong in New South Wales – had tried to stab several people before being arrested.
A woman was found dead in a building nearby. Police were investigating whether the earlier stabbing at a hotel was linked to the street attacks.
New South Wales Police Superintendent Gavin Wood praised the men who tackled the suspect, also said to have included Manchester man Lee Cuthbert. “They approach the person… with clear evidence of a stabbing previously. These people are heroes,” he said.
Prime Minister Morrison commended the bystanders for intervening, describing their actions as “brave”.
Asked to respond to the acclaim, the brothers said: “We’re not heroes.”
Police said a second woman in hospital was not in a lifethreatening condition. A third woman was said to have a minor injury to her hand.