A hero police officer stabbed twice in the chest while trying to arrest a man accused of being a child rapist has been released from hospital.
Detective Sergeant John Breda, 45, was knifed by 33-year-old Nick Newman during Australia Day celebrations at the Maroubra Junction Hotel.
The married father-of-two was left in serious condition in intensive care after the attack, but has now made a partial recovery.
Detective Sergeant John Breda, 45, was stabbed twice in the chest by 33-year-old suspected child rapist Nick Newman as he tried to arrest him in Sydney
Breda suffered serious internal injuries and had to ask a member of the public to help staunch the bleeding before he could be rushed to hospital
The married father-of-two was in serious condition in intensive care, but has now recovered enough to be released back into rehab
Sergeant Breda was released from hospital on Tuesday and will now begin rehab, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Breda was part of the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad sent to arrest Newman after he failed to appear in court on six counts of rape against a teenage girl, who had reportedly fallen pregnant after the attack.
Police issued a public appeal for Newman’s whereabouts, and on January 26 he was traced to the popular hotel.
But as Breda tried to arrest Newman he was stabbed twice, once in the chest and again in the abdomen, suffering a number of serious internal injuries.
Despite this he managed to call through the windows of the pub, summoning the help of Brett Douglas, who applied pressure to his wounds.
In the meantime Newman had attempted to cut his own throat with the knife, before being shot dead by officers.
The sudden outbreak of violence and gunshots sent the busy bar into panic.
Newman (pictured) failed to appear in court of child sex offences two days earlier, and tried to kill himself during the arrest before being shot dead
Police fired their weapons up to five times at Newman, who was pictured slumped on the floor of the hotel bar after being shot dead
Witness Oliver Lynch was enjoying a beer and a cigarette in the garden when the drama unfolded.
‘They were holding his stomach…rolling around. I was kind of in a small bit of shock,’ he said.
‘I was looking at him and there was people bringing tissues, the people who worked in the hotel, they were really good. They were putting pressure on (the injuries).’
‘Before I even smoked my cigarette there was a fella stabbed, and before the cigarette was finished there was a fella shot as well.
‘And then just like that, there was about a hundred cops storming the building.’
Sergeant Breda is a veteran of the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad has spent time in the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad and in 2015 he was given the National Medal by the Prime Minister, one of the police force’s highest honours.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said at the time tha lot of people were concerned about the senior officer as he is ‘very well regarded’.
‘We’re certainly very concerned about his condition and our thoughts are with him and his family,’ he said.
The shooting happened at the busy Maroubra Junction Hotel during Australia Day celebrations