When Justin Jones and Ellen Gauntlett found cop Charlie Guenigault in a pool of blood during the attack they knew they had to keep him talking
WHEN Justin Jones found cop Charlie Guenigault in a pool of blood during the London Bridge terror attack, he knew the only way to save his life was to keep him talking.
Charlie was weak but managed to say his favourite food and film — and when Justin asked which song he loved most, the 26-year-old cop replied with . . . Stayin’ Alive.
Miraculously, with the help of Justin and his girlfriend Ellen Gauntlett, the officer did stay alive — but if the couple had got him to hospital just two minutes later than they did, he would have died from blood loss.
It is a year today since three jihadists launched their assault in the heart of the capital, leaving eight people dead and 48 injured.
Metropolitan Police officer Charlie was off duty at the time but ran to the aid of his colleagues.
He was stabbed in the head, back, stomach and leg after confronting the knife-wielding terrorists with his bare hands.
In an exclusive interview Justin, 24, told us: “It’s terrifying to think how close he was to not making it. It really was a miracle he survived.
“I was asking him stupid questions like, ‘What’s your favourite colour, what’s your favourite song?’ just to keep him talking. He told us his favourite song is the Bee Gees’ hit Stayin’ Alive — I still don’t know if he was joking.”
Terrorists Khuram Shazad Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 23, drove a van into pedestrians on the bridge then rampaged through the streets, stabbing and slashing victims with 12in blades. They were all shot dead by armed police who were on the scene within minutes.
Ellen and Justin were on their way home after celebrating his birthday when they stumbled upon the attack.
Justin said: “We were supposed to have a nice birthday dinner at a restaurant but couldn’t find it so we said, ‘Sod it, we’ll go home and have a Chinese’.
SURVIVORS and victims’ loved ones will congregate near the scene of the attack today to mark the one-year anniversary.
Wayne Marques and Charlie Guenigault will be among the attendees at a service in Southwark Cathedral at 3pm.
Many local pubs and restaurants will mark the anniversary with a minute’s silence.
Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, said: “These three sick individuals deliberately chose to target London Bridge for what the area represents. Their aim was to cower us. They failed miserably, only bringing us closer and more determined to celebrate our community.”
The attack cost Borough Market’s 150 businesses around £2million. Thankfully, the immediate community stepped in.
The Borough Market Trust administered more than £100,000 of help and donations via local charity United St Saviour’s. News UK, publishers of The Sun on Sunday, gave £25,000 in vouchers to staff to spend in the market. Southwark Council gave £100,000 in rate relief and the Mayor of London provided £300,000 which helped keep some firms afloat.
“We were walking back to London Bridge station and had just got to the viaduct when I saw an officer in a high-vis jacket on the floor being punched by three men.
“It was dark and I thought it was a street fight. I never imagined that it was a terrorist attack.
“I ran across the road and one of the terrorists must have heard me because he turned around with this big, bright pink knife in his hand.
“He tried to stab me and if I had been an inch closer he would have succeeded. It was only then that I realised what was going on. I was like, ‘Oh s**t’.
“I took a step back but I refused to turn and run — and before I could have another go, all three of them ran away.”
It was then he noticed Charlie on the ground.
Justin said: “He was lying in a huge pool of his own blood and I knew he wouldn’t make it if someone didn’t help him.
“I’ve had some first aid training so I got on my knees and tried to stem the wounds with my palms to stop him from bleeding out.
“He didn’t seem to think he had long left and we were really scared for him. He wanted me to call his best friend Katie so he could speak to her. Ellen was holding his head and talking to him, but he was in shock and had lost so much blood.
“He kept saying the terrorists had bombs and we were hearing sirens but no ambulances came.
“I couldn’t leave him. If I did I knew he’d die.”
After the terrorists were shot dead, Justin, Ellen and another cop took Charlie to hospital themselves.
Ellen, 24, a legal secretary, said: “Someone gave us an emergency stretcher and the three of us carried Charlie to a police car. Charlie was so ill he was sick on the back seat. The first hospital we got to was St Thomas’ but they didn’t have an A&E, so we had to go to Kings.
“We got back in the car and drove so fast, with the blues and twos flashing. I was terrified. I had never seen driving like that before.”
Justin, a butcher from Herne Hill, South London, said: “We were the first casualties at Kings. We said there’d been a terrorist attack and they all leapt into action.
“Later a nurse told us that if we’d got there two minutes later Charlie would be dead.”
The stricken cop had a three-hour operation to remove his spleen. He spent weeks in intensive care and later had further operations to save his lungs and stomach.
As he recovered he got in touch with the couple who saved his life and invited them to his home in Bexley, South East London.
HERO cop Wayne Marques, who was stabbed in the head as he fought off the terrorists, has said support messages from strangers has fired his recovery.
Wayne, 38, was temporarily blinded in one eye and suffered major knife wounds during the assault a year ago today.
The British Transport police officer, who is returning to work next month, said: “You’re stuck in a bed thinking about things and then you get these messages from people.
“You’ve never met them, and you never will in most cases, but they’re just genuine, heartfelt, caring messages . . . I haven’t had to buy a pint in a while.”
He added: “I have my plans but I have to be realistic. You get setbacks. Sometimes you wake up in pain. I’ve still got far to go, but I’m on my way.”
Justin said: “His parents were there too. We all hugged and he thanked us for saving his life. What we went through was life-changing but I’d do it all again for such a brave man.”
The couple back The Sun on Sunday’s campaign calling for the Government to honour Charlie and British Transport Police hero Wayne Marques with the George Cross. It is the highest non-military award for gallantry in the UK.
Wayne fought the extremists even after he had been temporarily blinded and left for dead.
Justin said: “The courage those men showed was incredible. Wayne took on three armed men with nothing but a baton to protect him, then Charlie charged in with his fists. It’s a miracle they survived.”
This week he and Ellen made an emotional return to London Bridge, where Ellen broke down in tears as she demonstrated how she had cradled Charlie’s head as injured and dying victims lay all around them.
THE Sun on Sunday is urging the Government to honour bobbies Wayne Marques and Charlie Guenigault with the George Cross – the highest non-military award for gallantry – for their London Bridge heroics.
You can back our campaign by signing the petition at mcb777.site/georgecross.
She said: “It’s not easy being back here. I can see it all happening again in front of me. But on the night I just felt adrenalin — it didn’t seem real. It was chaos.
“I think 90 per cent of people would run away in the same situation. I thought I’d be a ‘flight’ person but obviously I’m not.
“Justin is a hero in my eyes too and we both feel proud to have done our bit.”
