11 Facts About Andrew Pennington

Andrew James Pennington was a British Liberal Democrat politician and a posthumous recipient of the George Medal in 2001.

Andrew Pennington was a Gloucestershire County Councillor from 1985 until his assassination in 2000.

On 28 January 2000, Pennington was acting as an assistant to Nigel Jones, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cheltenham, during Jones's constituency surgery.

Andrew Pennington came to Jones's defence but was fatally injured; he was stabbed nine times from behind, with at least six of the wounds going all the way through his body.

Andrew Pennington was posthumously awarded the George Medal by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 October 2001.

Mr Andrew Pennington was assisting him when the receptionist showed a man into the office.

Andrew Pennington stood with the sword raised above his head in both hands, and as the MP stood up, lowered it, pointing the sword tip at the MP's midriff.

At this point, Mr Andrew Pennington ran to the door of the office and called to the receptionist to get help.

Mr Andrew Pennington then hit the man from behind and dragged him off the MP, telling the MP to get away.

Mr Andrew Pennington died shortly afterwards from his injuries and the man was later arrested.

In February 2001, the suspect in Andrew Pennington's killing, 49-year-old Robert Ashman of Lansdown Place, Cheltenham, was initially charged with the murder of Andrew Pennington and the attempted murder of Jones, but the jury at Bristol Crown Court decided that he was mentally unfit to stand trial.