THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA, PRESENTATION OF THE 2017 CLARKE GOLD MEDAL
THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA, PRESENTATION OF THE 2017 CLARKE GOLD MEDAL
THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA,
PRESENTATION OF THE 2017 CLARKE GOLD MEDAL
at The Melbourne Town Hall
(Melbourne Room)
2nd Floor Cnr Collins & Swanston
Streets Melbourne, Vic 3000
at 12.00pm
on Thursday 23 August 2018
The Clarke Gold Medal is an award of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia. It is the Society’s highest award for the most outstanding case of bravery considered during the year. The 2017 Clarke
Gold Medal will be presented by The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Councillor Sally Capp to:
Mrs Bridget O’Toole
who went to the rescue of her husband from being attacked by an assailant at Hastings, Vic on 12 July 2013.
| Media Opportunities: | Photos/vision of the presentation of the Clarke Gold Medal. Mrs O’Toole will also be available for interview after the presentation. |
Contact: |
Sue Cutler (Secretary) | (03) 9125 4408 03 9125 4408 |
| Or visit our Web Site: | www.rhsa.org.au |
THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA
2017 CLARKE GOLD MEDAL
BRIDGET O’TOOLE
aged 63 years, of Clyde North, Victoria
in going to the rescue of her husband from being attacked by an assailant at Hastings, Vic on 12 July 2013.
(Dermot O’Toole (dec), aged 64 years)
At 5.00pm a disguised man entered a jewellery store with a large carving knife. The store at the time was attended by the owners Mr & Mrs O’Toole.
As Mrs O’Toole came out to the counter in the belief that a customer had entered, she was attacked by the armed assailant her pushed her into a glass cabinet and stabbed her several times.
During the attack Mr O’Toole who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, came out from the workshop to defend his wife and began wrestling with the assailant. Mr O’Toole was knocked to the ground and stabbed twice in the chest. Mrs O’Toole attempted to pull the offender away from her husband and in doing so she was further assaulted by the assailant. The assailant then ran out of the shop.
Tragically Mr O’Toole was fatally wounded with stab wounds to the upper chest and died at the scene. Mrs O’Toole suffered numerous severe wounds.
The assailant was charged with the murder of Mr O’Toole and armed robbery and intentionally causing injury to Mrs O’Toole and was sentenced to a total term of 27 years’ imprisonment.
