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Hotel Manager Recieves Star of Courage August 16, 2010, The Age.

 An ordinary night at work turned into a nightmare for hotel manager Ken Janakievski four years ago when armed robbers invaded his bar. Four men armed with a shotgun and large knives entered the bar of the White Horse Hotel at St Peters in inner Sydney on June 9, 2006, and ordered staff and customers onto the floor.

Mr Janakievski, now 53, was forced at gunpoint to open a safe and hand over cash, while his customers were made to hand over their wallets and mobile phones. But when the gun was pointed at Mr Janakievski's chest, the Cronulla man knew he had to take action to protect himself and his customers.

"I thought he was going to shoot me and I had to do something," Mr Janakievski told AAP. Mr Janakievski lunged at his attacker and wrestled the gun from him, causing the other robbers to flee in fright. "It's instinctual, it takes over you," Mr Janakievski said. "In a situation like that, you're not thinking, you act." Mr Janakievski ran after the men as they escaped by car, before returning to the hotel where he found that one of his customers had been stabbed.

He performed CPR on the victim, who later died. "That was heartbreaking," Mr Janakievski said. The men involved were later charged and imprisoned for the robbery. <span style="border: 0px initial initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr Janakievski will receive the Star of Courage for displaying conspicuous bravery in protecting his customers. <span style="border: 0px initial initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is only the fifth Star of Courage to be given out since the awards were established 35 years ago. <span style="border: 0px initial initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"It feels really good," he said.

<span style="border: 0px initial initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|More Information On Ken Janakievski]

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Summary of text: June the 9th, 2006 White Horse Hotel was invaded by four men armed with a shotgun and large knives. Ken Janakievski works in the pub where it had been invaded. The customers and staff were ordered onto the floor. Mr Janakievski was forced to open the safe and hand over cash. All the customers were made to hand over their wallets and mobile phones. When the gun was pointed at Mr Janakievski chest he knew he had to do something to protect himself and his customers.

<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr Janakievski wrestled then gun from his attacker causing the other robbers to be frightend. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"In a situation like that, you're not thinking, you act." Mr Janakievski said. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He ran after the men as they escaped. Mr Janakievski returned to the hotel, where he found of one his customers had been badly injured from one of the attackers. He did CPR on the customer, who unfortunately later died. 35 years ago the Star of Courage was established and since then Mr Janakievski has been the 5th person to be awarded with it.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Why I think he has shown courage: <span style="border: 0px initial initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think Mr Janakievski has shown courage by standing up to the robbers and protecting his customers. I think it would be really scary having and gun pointed at you and Mr Janakievski without any thinking wrestled the robber to get the gun off him. This type of courage is bravery, Mr Janakievski could of potientially died if the robber pulled the trigger and he still protected his customers more then himself which is a really big show of bravery.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Questions:  <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">1. If you were in Mr Janakievski's position would you of done what he did for his customers? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">2. What would you be feeling if you had a gun pointed at you? <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">3. Do you think Mr Janakievski should of got the Star of Courage or should just be praised for his courageous act?