It was just another morning in court. Peter Hampton, a barrister at Broadway House Chambers, was standing waiting for his case to come on at Bradford Crown Court.
Then, out of nowhere, defendant Amaan Rashid came bolting out of the dock and struck a female security officer in the face as she attempted to restrain him.
This was Hampton’s moment. Despite not having set foot on a rugby field for 14 years, the barrister, 32, leapt to tackle the villain.
Rashid hit the deck. Hampton clung onto him, ably assisted by a court reporter…
Yesterday at the foiled crook’s sentencing for a drug offence, Judge Peter Benson revealed to the world Hampton’s previously unreported bravery, for which he reserved special praise.
When I caught up with the modest Hampton today – whose goodness is further evidenced by the halo of light shining around his head in the photo below – he played down his heroism, paying tribute to the female security officer who was injured in the incident.