Arrest Made After Undercover Police Officer Stabbed 10 Times on Doorstep

A man has been arrested in Essex for the attempted murder of an undercover police officer who was stabbed repeatedly in the chest, stomach, and arm on the doorstep of his own home this week.

Police were called to an address in Church Road at around 9:10pm on Wednesday evening where the incident took place. The officer attacked is believed to work for Essex Police in an undercover role, and his name has not been released for that reason.

John McCartney, 39, has been charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon for allegedly stabbing the undercover officer multiple times, in the chest, arm and stomach. McCartney came before a magistrate Friday who rejected bail for the suspect, who will be tried at Basildon Crown Court next month, reports the Halstead Gazette.

A neighbour said of the attack “someone knocked on his door and he came round the side, as he doesn’t use the front door. Somehow an argument started and he got stabbed”, reports The Times.

Although the motivation for the stabbing is not known, the paper suggested it may be related to a gang or group that the officer had infiltrated, and reported the arrested man was known to the officer.

A statement from Essex police said “There is no wider risk to the local community or other police officers as a result of this incident”, adding: “our officer is in a stable condition in hospital and we are hopeful will make a full recovery.”

Local MP Mark Francois described the attack as “absolutely wicked” adding “this is an appalling crime and my thoughts are with the officer concerned and his family.

The horrific attack comes as the Office for National Statistics released the latest crime figures for England and Wales, which showed a significant rise in knife-related incidents. In 2018, violent crime rose by a staggering 19-per-cent, homicides were up by six-per-cent from the previous year, and possession of a bladed or pointed object was up a fifth.

Knife-related crime was up six-per-cent to 40,829 in a year, an average of 112 incidents every single day in England and Wales alone.