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Man who held off Manchester synagogue attacker recalls having ‘strange feeling’
Andrew Franks, who was stabbed three times protecting worshippers, has received a Pride of Britain Award for his bravery
A security guard who held off a knife-wielding terrorist at a Manchester synagogue has recalled having a “strange feeling something was going to happen” prior to the attack.
Andrew Franks had been a volunteer security guard at his family synagogue for about a year when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove into the gates of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on 2 October last year, and then began attacking with a knife, wearing a fake suicide belt.
Speaking ahead of the first anniversary of the attack, the 53-year-old chef from Bury, Greater Manchester, who suffered life-changing injuries, said he thought he was “going to die” during the ordeal.
Mr Franks has now won a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award for Outstanding Bravery after he fought to stop the attacker from getting inside the synagogue.
“He stabbed me three times, yelling that he was going to kill me,” Mr Franks told The Mirror.
“I shouted, ‘lock the doors’ and quickly ran inside.
“Everyone barricaded the doors while my 80-year-old dad held me as I was bleeding from my neck.
“I thought I was going to die.”
Mr Franks told The Mirror he had been called to guard the synagogue at the last minute on Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the year for Jews.
He said: “When I arrived in the morning I noticed a guy standing on his own outside the shops.
“It was odd because he was taking photos of the synagogue. I had a strange feeling something was going to happen.
“I was keeping an eye on him. Something wasn’t quite right.
“A few minutes later, the guy came over and asked the other security guards if he could park his car in the synagogue.
“He was told: ‘Sorry, you can’t park here, please can you go.’ Then they said he started shouting about Jews and stumbled off.
“I told the security guards to dial 999.”
Al-Shamie rammed his car into the gates of the synagogue a few minutes later, and began attacking with a knife, killing 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz in the onslaught.
“He was shouting, and I didn’t realise at this point that he’d already killed someone and had a knife on him,” Mr Franks told The Mirror.
“I went to grab him and thought he stabbed me once, although I found out it was three times.
“It felt like my ear was hanging off.
“He was wearing what looked like a suicide belt, but it turned out to be false.
“He shouted, ‘I’m going to f****** kill you, you Jewish…’.
“Then I managed to trip him up as he was running towards the synagogue and trying to get inside.
“Then I got up, I still don’t know how, and shouted ‘lock the doors!’”
Mr Franks was chased by Al-Shamie and attacked again, but managed to escape and was let into the synagogue by a worshipper.
Members of the congregation barricaded the doors until Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born British citizen, was shot dead by police.
Adrian Daulby, 53, was also struck to the chest and killed by a stray bullet that went through the door.
Mr Franks recalled being held by his father Ellis Franks until paramedics arrived.
Mr Franks, who has one teenage daughter Tamara, told The Mirror: “I was in and out of consciousness. I kept saying: ‘Dad, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I can’t leave Tamara.’
“He kept telling me: ‘Everything will be fine, just take a deep breath.’
“I could hear the man banging on the doors trying to get in. It was really scary.”
The attacker had cut Mr Franks through his facial and eye nerves, leaving him with difficulty eating, according to The Mirror.
He also suffered a skull and spine fracture.
“I was in theatre for nine-and-a-half hours and I was in hospital for a fortnight,” Mr Franks told The Mirror.
“I was told I nearly died three times on the operating table.”
“I’m still having nightmares and I’m seeing a trauma psychologist,” Mr Franks added.
Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told The Mirror: “Thank goodness he (Mr Franks) was there because despite the fact that he sustained those awful injuries, it was his actions that undoubtedly prevented further loss of life.
“He confronted him, grappled with him, tripped him up and was shouting at people to lock the doors.
“Despite his injuries, he continued in seeking to protect those inside.
“I have no doubt that had this radicalised terrorist got into that synagogue, he would have committed mass murder.”
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