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Bravery boy recalls stab ordeal | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A nine-year-old boy has told how he went to his mother's aid as an armed intruder tried to stab her to death in their Fife home. | |
First Minister Alex Salmond has backed calls for Nathan Thomson, who was himself stabbed in the face, to be given a bravery award. | |
Attacker Hugh Clark, 35, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for the attack on Ena Thomson and her son in Rosyth. | |
Nathan's parents have both spoken of their pride in their son. | |
His father Mark Thomson said his wife would have been dead if Nathan had not intervened. | |
The youngster told BBC Scotland how he had been trying to protect his mother from Clark, who stabbed Mrs Thomson eight times. | |
"When I came out of my bedroom door I saw my mum getting stabbed by Hugh Clark and I tried to stop him," he said. | |
I thought mum was going to die Shannon Thomson | |
"He got me off of him and he slashed me on the nose." | |
Nathan was able to flee the house through the back door, while his 12-year-old sister Shannon had to jump from her bedroom window to escape. | |
She recalled how she had locked herself in her room during the "frightening" incident. | |
"I thought mum was going to die," she added. | |
Mrs Thomson said she was very proud of both her children. | |
Bravery award | |
"They did really well - I couldn't have done what they did," she said. | |
However, she described the sentence handed down to Clark as "disgraceful" and "shocking". | |
Lord Brodie, who sentenced Clark at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, described Nathan as "courageous". | |
If Nathan hadn't have come running, my wife would have been killed Mark Thomson | |
One of Scotland's senior law officers, the solicitor general, has recommended that Nathan be given a bravery award. | One of Scotland's senior law officers, the solicitor general, has recommended that Nathan be given a bravery award. |
Speaking at first minister's questions on Thursday, Mr Salmond added his support to the call. | |
"I think the whole chamber would want to join with me in congratulating young Nathan Thomson, who intervened to protect his mother - at nine years old - from a vicious assault," he said. | |
He described Nathan as an "exceptional young man", comments which were echoed by Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander. | |
Earlier, Mr Thomson told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that his son had not talked much about the incident. | |
Hugh Clark admitted a charge of attempted murder | |
"His sister - who also witnessed it - has been going through counselling," he said. | |
"Nathan's a happy-go-lucky boy. He doesn't have a care in the world. I think he's actually enjoying the attention now. He saw himself on the TV and started running about the house shouting 'I'm on the telly'. | "Nathan's a happy-go-lucky boy. He doesn't have a care in the world. I think he's actually enjoying the attention now. He saw himself on the TV and started running about the house shouting 'I'm on the telly'. |
"I'm sure the bravery award will mean a great deal to him. He's a very special child. I'm extremely proud of him, and my daughter as well." | "I'm sure the bravery award will mean a great deal to him. He's a very special child. I'm extremely proud of him, and my daughter as well." |
He added: "If Nathan hadn't have come running, my wife would have been killed." | |
Clark, from Rosyth, had gone to the family's house after being interviewed by police over an allegation he believed had been made by Mrs Thomson. | |
Nathan was left with a fractured jaw and 10 stitches running from the tip of his nose to 1mm from his eye after the attack. |