LANGFORD, Georgina Rose

CITATION

New Zealand Bravery Decoration

Special Honours List - 2 December 2013

On the night of 21 April 2011 Ms Georgina LANGFORD, aged 21, was at home at an isolated rural address near Nelson, with her mother and bedridden stepfather.  A family member arrived, pursued by his father who was suffering from paranoia and who intended to kill his son.  The father then arrived at the house with a 12 gauge Remington 812 shotgun, in a highly agitated and emotional state.  Ms LANGFORD and her mother met him at the front door, where he demanded to know where his son was. They knew he was unstable and had already assaulted his son.  Ms LANGFORD’s mother attempted to make him leave by pushing him and the shotgun away, but he brushed her aside.  Ms LANGFORD then attempted to push him and the shotgun out of the house, but he also pushed her aside and shot his son in the chest at almost point-blank range. Despite the immediate risk to herself, Ms Langford then grabbed the barrel of the gun with both hands, and tried to pull it from the man. Her mother told her to let the gun go, which she did, and the man left the house. Ms LANGFORD then called for emergency services. While she was doing this, the man returned to the house with the gun, and took the phone from her. She then went into an adjoining room, where her stepfather was bedridden with Multiple Sclerosis. He told her to leave the house, and she went outside and hid in bushes until the armed man left the property.

KNOWN AWARDS

New Zealand Bravery Decoration

NOTES

Born

Died

THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT