An off-duty officer has been praised for their response in giving the victim of a stabbing life-saving first aid.

– Deacon Hart (27/5/05) of Viscount Road, Wigan was jailed for two years at Bolton Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 5 August 2026) after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at a previous hearing.

– As guidance, the off-duty officer does not want to be named or interviewed.

The investigation revealed at approximately 3:45pm on Thursday 27 June 2024 a 75-year-old man was walking his two dogs off the lead on the pedestrian bridge over the M58 motorway in Orrell.

The man had seen Hart on the bridge and told Hart that he should not be using a motorbike on the public footpath. A commotion ensued, and the victim was slashed on the right side of his neck with a knife and lost a substantial amount of blood.

An off-duty police officer commenced vital first aid on the bridge whilst Hart made a swift escape, leaving his motorbike, gloves and helmet behind.

Hart then discarded his clothing and knife nearby to the scene in a wooded area.

A short time later, the Air Ambulance and paramedics attended and took the victim to hospital for treatment. The victim underwent successful life-saving surgery the same day.

Hart then rang a taxi to go home and change clothing before he fled to Manchester.

On Friday 28 June 2024, Hart was arrested. On Monday 1 July, the knife used to slash the victim was recovered in a wooded area just off Beachwood Crescent, Orrell after a thorough search.

Detective Constable Riyaz Patel, of our Wigan Division, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for his bravery and courage during this investigation. I would also like to commend the off-duty officer who had administered life-saving first aid as well as all the emergency services that were involved as without their excellent work this would’ve been a murder investigation.

“Deacon Hart acted in a calculated and callous manner. Mobile phone analysis of Hart’s handset revealed prior to his arrest he was actively messaging his friends to recover the knife that was used to slash the victim’s neck.

“This was an extremely challenging case which led to Hart being apprehended following a meticulous investigation which had taken over hundreds of hours piecing the evidence together with a fine-tooth comb.

“I hope the sentence imposed provides communities re-assurance that we will investigate serious crime expeditiously and punish those responsible for violent crimes in our communities.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Andrew Partington, from Wigan’s Neighbourhood Crime Team, added: “This was a serious and complex investigation and I’d like to thank the victim for his bravery throughout.”