Brave Gwent officers enjoy exclusive reception with Wales' First Minister

26 September 2023

Two courageous Gwent Police officers have recounted the moment they tackled a dangerous dog that had fatally attacked a 10-year-old boy during a reception with Wales's First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Mr Drakeford held the event at the Senedd to honour Wales’s 2023 Police Bravery Awards nominees, including Gwent Police Federation member Ross Phillips and Isabelle Coulson, who has since transferred to South Wales Police.

Isabelle and Ross were among the first to attend the scene of a dog attack at an address in Caerphilly in November 2021, where Jack Lis was sadly killed.

The pair acted with the utmost bravery and devised a plan to enter the property. While Isabelle distracted the dog, Ross entered the house and attended to Jack.

Gwent Police Federation members Ross Phillips and Isabelle Coulson (centre).

He managed to get Jack outside and away from the dog but found that Jack had died from his injuries.

The courageous duo were nominated for the National Police Bravery Awards, which took place in London earlier this year.

And now they’ve been recognised with a reception hosted by Mr Drakeford.

“It was an honour to meet the brave men and women who have gone beyond the call of duty in a bid to protect members of the public from harm,” said Mr Drakeford.

“They acted selflessly and we are proud of their actions. I’m looking forward to congratulating them on their awards and nominations, which are highly deserved.”

The event was also attended by Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, as well as Calum Macleod, secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), National Board member for the Welsh region Zac Mader and Leigh Godfrey, Post Incident Lead and Region 7 (Wales) Representative for PFEW, also attended the reception.

Ross said: “I’m really grateful for the nominations and to be able to attend the events in London and at the Senedd.

“We talked about the incident and it brought up questions around legislation and dangerous dogs, and we talked about more general issues facing the police.

“We were made to feel really welcome.”

The pair were joined at the reception by bravery award nominees from South Wales Police - Inspector Paul Ramsay, Detective Inspector Paul Graham, Police Constable Owen Bedford and an officer who wishes to remain anonymous - who put their own safety at risk to form a human chain in an attempt to save a distressed woman on the edge of a cliff.

Zac said: “We’re really grateful to the First Minister for hosting a reception to recognise the exceptional bravery of our police officers in Wales.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the courageous actions that officers show every day in serving and protecting the people of Wales.”