Andrew Barton KPM

Died

15 April 1913

Age

Rank

Sergeant

Force

Northumberland County Constabulary

Cause

Homicide - Shot

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Shot and killed after entering an inn to disarm a man who had already shot dead another officer. Posthumously awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry.

Roll of Honour Citation

Shot and killed after entering an inn to disarm a man who had already shot dead another officer. Posthumously awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry.

Circumstances

Sergeant Barton was on duty and upon hearing the shots from within an Inn he entered, despite seeing Constable George Bertram Mussell had been shot dead, he confronted the armed man and was attempting to disarm him when he too was shot and killed.

Posthumously awarded the King's Police Medal for Gallantry.

On 6th April 1913 it was noted that £45 was missing from the accounts of the Sun Inn.

Nine days later, on 15th April, a heated argument over the money led to police being called to the inn. The owner was there with the new landlord and his wife, the owner intending to evict the current landlord due to the accounting errors and stock discrepancies.

PC George Mussell from Bedlington Police Station was sent to resolve the matter and although he was meant to be off duty he did the extra shift as a favour.

At the pub the disturbance escalated and the current landlord being evicted produced a shotgun and shot PC Mussell twice.

Sergeant Andrew Barton, on patrol nearby, heard the gunfire and rushed to the scene. He knew the landlord well and tried to reason with him but he was also shot twice. A third person, the wife of the pub’s new landlord, was also shot dead.

Posthumously awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry.