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TOP cover aUtUmn 2012 37

but still as sharp as a die, continued: “We had a bit of a struggle
and i managed to pin him against a wall. i twisted the gun from
his hand. easterbrook said something along the lines of, ‘alright,
i give up.’ and as things calmed down we just waited.” henry
waited for his colleagues to come to his aid, as there were no
personal radios or phones to call for assistance in those times.
he just had to hope his colleagues had heard the shot or the
shouting. henry remarked: “i don’t think i had my whistle with
me and couldn’t have blown it if i’d wanted to.” But easterbrook,
at 27 and already a career criminal, knew he was in serious
trouble having just shot a cop. he wasn’t going to come quietly
if he could help it. henry went on: “i must have relaxed my grip
a bit and he took his chance, reached round with his hand and
grabbed my ‘privates’.” this gave him the opportunity to run off
back the way we had come.
By now henry had a mouth full of blood (shock would have henry stevens receives his QUeens DiamonD
began to set in) but he was still having none of it and once again JUBilee meDal From hrh prince charles, the
chased easterbrook back up the road. “easterbrook must have prince oF Wales
realised he was running towards where my colleagues would
come from and he suddenly stopped and faced me. i shouted
at him ‘you b*stard, look what you did, i know you. i’ll have you
wherever you go.’” easterbrook then tried to dart past henry
back the way he had come. no such chance, henry stevens
caught him once again and another struggle ensued in which he
was dragged down the road losing the heel off his shoe.
this time henry was feeling weaker and easterbrook twisted
in his grip and slipped out of his suit jacket and overcoat and ran
off. henry gave chase but had to give up when easterbrook ran
down onto a railway cutting and made good his escape.
his two colleagues found henry. he still had hold of the pistol
and the jacket belonging to easterbrook (in the pockets was a
pepper pot and a knife). henry was rushed to hospital in the
‘Q’ car.
as a doctor examined him henry’s indomitable spirit once
again came to the fore as he persuaded the doctor to let him
smoke a cigarette. he then proceeded to smoke the cigarette henry shares WorDs With camilla, DUchess oF
through the bullet hole in his lip – much to the doctor’s horror. cornWall, at the reception For the holDers
the following day his fellow officers visited henry in hospital. oF the george cross
their enquiries established that the jacket henry had pulled
off his assailant was part of a hand made suit traced to a tailor
in Deptford. it was one of only two he had made. one was for
a banker and one for ronald easterbrook. henry later identified
easterbrook from mugshots. after his release from prison ronald
easterbrook was soon picked up and charged with attempted easterbrook went on to commit further
murder of a police officer. although the old Bailey Jury acquitted FOOtnOte serious crimes which culminated in
easterbrook of attempted murder he was convicted of wounding 1987 when, as part of a gang, he robbed
with intent to cause gBh. he was sentenced to just 10 years a supermarket in Woolwich, south
in prison. east london.
henry made a full recovery but carries a scar and lost six teeth. the gang was ambushed by armed
on 21st october 1958 he was awarded the george cross for his officers from pt17 and in the ensuing
bravery during this incident. he went on to have a distinguished shoot out one of the gang was shot
police career as a detective serving on the Flying squad and later, dead and easterbrook arrested, but not
between 1973 and 1978, worked at leman street as a uniform before he managed to shoot a pt17
inspector in charge of the divisional crime squad before finishing inspector in the leg.
his career as a chief inspector at kings cross in central london. this time easterbrook did get a long
henry retired from the police in 1982 and is now the honorary sentence. he died in prison in 2010.
secretary of the victoria cross & george cross association based
in Whitehall ■