Iraq veteran Jase Shore praised for quick actions in Sydney stabbing

A former Australian soldier has credited his tour of Iraq for quick thinking in using a milk crate to pin accused Sydney stabber Mert Ney’s hands to his chest during Tuesday’s CBD rampage. READ HIS STORY

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The hero who used a milk crate to subdue a man accused of a stabbing rampage is a former Australian soldier who credits his experience on a tour of Iraq for his quick thinking.

Jase Shore has been widely praised for his bravery after he and a handful of other men tackled 20-year-old Mert Ney but he says he only wished he could have acted sooner.

“Being in stressful environments after being deployed to Baghdad, I knew how to react and stay calm,” he told The Saturday Telegraph. “There were times it hesitated me and I wish I could’ve taken him down earlier.”

Mr Shore a father-of-one who lives in Adelaide but is originally from Sydney, said it was “pure luck” he was there and got involved.

Hero Jase Shore, aka Milk Crate Man. Picture: 9News

Having travelled to Sydney for a work meeting, the Coca-Cola Amatil business manager was in a car when he saw a woman allegedly stabbed in the street.

“(The offender) was wearing a balaclava and I jumped out to try and help usher people away,” he said.

After spotting the crate he thought it was “a good tool” to defend himself. “The milk crate was stacked up against a wall by the side of a cafe. It was close to where we pinned him down.

Ney was held down by a group of people before police arrived on the scene. Picture: 7 News

Jase Shore is seen holding the crate over Ney’s head during a citizen’s arrest. Picture: 7 News

“It was to be used to help take him down or defend a knife strike,” he said. “When he was down I used it to pin his hands against his chest and keep his body down while protecting his head from inflicting injuries to himself and (from) outside attack. It also was a good tool to keep my hands from his face or body.”

RELATED: Mert Ney charged with murder

Mr Shore said the six minutes he pursued the accused knifeman in the streets with the others felt a lot longer.

Jase Shore.

He now has a bond with Jamie Ingram, a Westpac IT manager, who was involved in subduing the suspect. “Jamie and I were there at the initial stage and I remember him vividly and we both looked at each other after we all took him down … I would love to shake his hand and buy him a beer.”

Another hero was John Bamford, a Sydney solicitor, who was dubbed “chair man” after he used a cafe chair to take on the man. Paul O’Shaughnessy, his brother Luke and fellow Manchester mate Lee Cuthbert, two firemen, and IT manager Simon Finch were also praised for their bravery.

Police Minister David Elliott’s office said he would meet the heroes once the firefighters returned from leave. Bravery awards are being considered.

For Mr Shore, his focus will now be on “paying his respect” to Michaela Dunn, the sex worker killed in the alleged attack. “She was someone’s daughter, granddaughter and someone’s friend. Her job title bares no relevance to her situation,” he said. “Michaela lost her life alone and that's hard to take. It’s the biggest thing playing on my mind.”