A BRAVE police officer who waded into a freezing reservoir to try and save a woman trapped in her car upside down in the water has been rewarded for his courage.

PC Richard Kendall was called to a car upside down in Stithians Reservoir with only the wheels visible on May 16 last year.

Inside the car was mother of two Hazel Brown from Penryn.

The citation says: "Without any regard for his safety in dark, unlit conditions PC Kendall scaled down a 12ft bank and was waist deep in freezing cold water.

"He tried in vain to gain access to the car in an attempt to release the trapped female driver. Sadly the driver could not be saved."

For showing great courage PC Kendall was awarded a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation.

PC Kendal was among a number of police officers from across Cornwall who received awards to recognise some of the excellent work they have done on cases ranging from murders to attempted suicides.

The ceremony took place at County Hall, Truro. 

PC Lewis Vague, stationed at Camborne, was awarded a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for his dedication to duty after persuading a suicidal teenager off a cliff edge

PC Vague attended an incident when a 16-year-old was dangerously close to a cliff edge. He was placed in a full restraint harness by coastguard officers and was able to persuade the young man to go back up to safety where his family were waiting.

The coastguard team were stood down but, as the family were leaving the scene, the youth received a phone call that disturbed him and he again ran to the edge of the cliff followed by PC Vague.

There was a 200 ft drop into the sea and PC Vague sat on the edge of the cliff, with no restraint harness to prevent him from falling, and encouraged the teenager to once again back away from the edge.  He did so and was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital.

The team behind bringing murder offenders to justice after a 20-year-old man died after being attacked outside a nightclub in Redruth in September 2015 were a Superintendent’s Certificate. 

Police set up Operation Darvel to catch the murderers who were convicted and given life sentences.

DC Jonathan Bray was responsible for managing the CCTV enquiries which proved to be key to the convictions. The quality of his work and the way he presented the evidence was subject of praise from Queen’s Counsel and the trial judge and was regarded as a standard others should aspire to.

His colleague DC Neil Goldsmith undertook the role of Family Liaison Officer and carried out his duties with the upmost compassion and professionalism coupled with a personal approach that ensured great confidence was created between the family and the police. The family of the victim have made it clear the positive impact DC Goldsmith had in the most difficult circumstances.

DC Goldsmith also received a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for the role he played in Operation Cadmus – the investigation into the 1982 rape of a woman at her Camborne home.

Following a review of material Nicholas Bertram was arrested and convicted in 2015 receiving a 10 year custodial sentence. DC Goldsmith was instrumental in the completion of enquiries including tracing the victim who had emigrated. He was also involved in the arrest and interview of the suspect who had featured in the original enquiry and had committed a murder months later. In the role of Case Officer DC Goldsmith constructed a compelling case which resulted in the conviction 33 years after the rape.

DS Mark Jones led the team and he too received a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for his exemplary leadership. Most of the original material had been destroyed and many witnesses had died or could not be located. DS Jones developed the evidence that remained and pursued modern day forensic opportunities which, in turn, led to the identification of a suspect who was a convicted murderer. DS Jones worked closely with prosecutors which led to the conviction.

Also receiving Chief Superintendent’s Commendations for their role in Operation Cadmus were:

DC Sarah Brown undertook the liaison role displaying a real empathy with the victim, initially engaging with her abroad before overseeing her return to the UK for formal interviews. DC Brown provided outstanding support before, during and after what was a challenging trial. Her professionalism and unwavering commitment was recognised by the victim who said that, without it, she may not have coped with the trial process.

The detectives responsible for the reinvestigation and conviction of a care home worker for murder, arson with intent, eight counts of reckless arson and three counts of arson received a Judge’s Commendation and Chief Superintendent’s Commendations.

Karen Pedley killed a 96-year-old resident when she set fire to Rosewyn House, Truro back in 2008. Serial arsonist Pedley continued to commit arson until 2010. She was sentenced to 14 life sentences in October 2016.

DS Mark Jones and DC Jonathan Bray were commended by the Honourable Mr Justice Teare for their hard work and dedication to the case as well as their diligence.

DC Bray, who assumed the role of Officer in the Case, displayed true professionalism throughout which resulted in a murder and a large number of additional serious offences being identified and attributed to the suspect.

DC Jones was the deputy senior investigating officer whose investigation and leadership skills meant that sufficient evidence was identified to prove the cases against the defendant.

Also receiving a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for his role in the investigation was DC Damian Ayling who was the Officer in the Case. His dedication and professional decision-making resulted in a vital piece of witness evidence being identified which revealed a murder and numerous other serious arsons had been committed.