Greater Manchester Police officer saved in knife attack by her lip balm

A female police officer in Manchester had her life saved during a knife attack by a tin of lip balm in her pocket.

Officers were called to Harpurhey after receiving reports a man was armed with a knife and damaging cars.

Her colleague was slashed eight times in his leg as the pair stopped 25-year-old Mahar Mansour with another officer.

The officer suffered cuts and soreness but miraculously avoided more serious injury after the Vaseline she had in her pocket took the brunt, as Mansour swung his arms at her while armed with a knife.

Later, she noticed marks in the Vaseline container, which corresponded with holes in her trousers.

Both officers went to hospital but were not seriously hurt.

Recorder Michael Maher commended the officers for 'very courageously' stopping Mansour, who had been jumping up and down on a car and kicking out at other vehicles following a row with his brother.

Mansour who sought asylum in the UK after becoming a 'political prisoner' in Syria, suffers from mental health problems exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Residents at Kingsbridge Court in Kingsbridge Road were woken at about 4am on Saturday, August 15 last year, after Mansour started shouting in Arabic.

The police were called and the first officer on the scene was the female police constable, who was joined by two male colleagues.

She knew Mansour had a knife and drew her Taser. Mansour was told to keep his hands in the air, but he turned his back and moved towards some steps.

He reached to his chest. Fearing he was arming himself, she fired the Taser. The Taser shot didn't work, and Mansour 'lunged' forward, 'swinging' his arms towards her.

It caused them to fall down the steps and Mansour fell on top of her. She fell into the other two officers, and Mansour struck out at the other officer with the knife during a 'violent struggle', after which he was subdued.

Both officers went to hospital. The female PC suffered scratches to her face and soreness to her knee which was still causing her problems months later. As she left hospital, she noticed holes in a tin of Vaseline which matched up with holes in her trousers. The male officer suffered eight 'shallow slashes' to his leg.

Mansour, from Salford, pleaded guilty to two counts of section 20 wounding, one count of criminal damage and one count of possessing a knife. He has been jailed for two years.