Man charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after knife attack on British train
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The attack on the evening of Nov 1 - which police said was not being treated as terrorism - left 11 people injured.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON - British prosecutors on Nov 3 charged a 32-year-old man with 10 counts of attempted murder following a mass stabbing
Eleven people were injured in the mass stabbing, including a member of the train crew who remains in hospital in critical, but stable, condition. That person was hurt while trying to stop the suspect from stabbing others.
The attack, on a London-bound train that then stopped at Huntingdon about 129km north of London, shocked the country, and prompted statements from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles, who sent their sympathies to those affected.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said Anthony Williams, 32, was charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of possession of a bladed article.
Ten of the attempted murder charges were linked to the train attack, British Transport Police said, while the eleventh charge was connected to an incident at a station in east London earlier on the same day.
Williams, who is from Peterborough in eastern England, was set to appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court later on Nov 3, they said, adding that the charges were brought after a review of CCTV footage from the train among other evidence.
Williams was not known to counter-terrorism police or security services, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said earlier on Nov 3.
Ms Alexander told Times Radio on Nov 3 that Williams, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, had not been flagged to counter-terrorism authorities prior to the attack.
“I can tell you he was not known to counter-terrorism police, he was not known to security services,” she said, adding that she could not comment on whether the man had been known to mental health services.
British Transport Police said officers responded within eight minutes of the first emergency call.
A knife was recovered at the scene and CCTV footage reviewed by detectives showed a train crew member intervening to stop the attacker.
“He literally put himself in harm’s way,” Ms Alexander said. “There will be people who are alive today because of his actions.” REUTERS
