The short version
- Anthony Williams denies fourteen counts of attempted murder related to stabbings in Peterborough and on trains.
- Witnesses testified that Williams exhibited aggressive behavior, mumbled about the devil, and made threatening statements before the attacks.
- The court has been told that while the acts themselves are not disputed, the jury must determine if Williams intended to kill his victims.
A trial at Cambridge Crown Court is examining whether Anthony Williams possessed the specific intent to kill during a series of violent incidents involving trains and street attacks in late October. The thirty-three-year-old defendant from Peterborough faces fourteen counts of attempted murder, stemming from events that unfolded over two days. Prosecutors have presented evidence suggesting a pattern of escalating behavior leading up to the main incident on a London-bound train that made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on November 1.
The jury heard testimony regarding Williams’s conduct on the evening of October 31, prior to boarding a train from Peterborough. Witnesses described a man behaving erratically and causing alarm among other passengers. One passenger, Keirah Lee-Oakman, recounted seeing a male enter the carriage who appeared to be talking and mumbling to himself. She stated that he walked up and down the carriages, repeatedly saying phrases such as 'I haven’t got it' while referencing the devil. His demeanor was described as aggressive and intimidating, prompting her to contact the British Transport Police via text message.
Police officers responded to the report and tracked the individual to Stevenage station. However, the pursuit ended when the man dropped onto the railway tracks. Officers determined that continuing the chase was unsafe under those circumstances. This incident occurred hours before the more severe attacks took place on November 1. The timeline presented to the court suggests a continuous sequence of events, linking the earlier erratic behavior in Peterborough and on the train to the subsequent violence.
Another passenger on that same pre-attack train, Abbie Harrison-Evans, provided additional details about the atmosphere inside the carriage. She was traveling with her partner, Ethan Daniels, when they noticed a man shouting from the front of the train. He was playing what she described as spooky Halloween music on his phone. Her initial impression was that he might be suffering from a mental health crisis. Despite this assumption, his actions grew more concerning as he kept grabbing a black rucksack placed on the seat next to him.
Harrison-Evans testified that the man repeatedly stated, 'I’m going to do it,' followed by contradictory remarks such as 'I cannot do it.' She described feeling a strong sense that he intended to harm them. Her partner, Daniels, reported hearing the man declare, 'I am the baddest, no-one is as bad as me.' These statements were highlighted in court to illustrate the mindset of the accused during the period leading up to the stabbing attacks.
The charges against Williams include attempts to murder ten individuals on the train between Peterborough and Huntingdon. The victims named in the indictment are Raza Aslam, Sachin Balakrishnan, Scott Bletcher, Stephen Crean, Kevin Deely, Jonathan Gjoshe, Scott Green, Michael Paffett, David Presland, and Samir Zitouni. Additionally, he is accused of attempting to murder three people in Peterborough during the evening of October 31 and a teenager on a Docklands Light Railway train in east London in the early hours of November 1.
Williams has entered pleas of not guilty to all fourteen counts of attempted murder. The defense does not appear to contest that he carried out the physical acts of stabbing or attacking the individuals. Instead, the legal focus rests on the element of intent. Jurors have been instructed that they must consider whether Williams intended to kill those specific individuals at the time of the attacks. This distinction is crucial for determining guilt under the charge of attempted murder rather than lesser offenses.
The case highlights the challenges of interpreting pre-attack behavior and verbal threats in the context of criminal intent. Witnesses described a mix of confusion, fear, and uncertainty about whether the man was mentally unstable or genuinely dangerous. The court proceedings aim to piece together these fragmented accounts to establish a clear narrative of Williams’s state of mind. As the trial continues, more evidence regarding the aftermath and medical assessments may be presented to further clarify the circumstances.
The incident has drawn attention to safety protocols on public transport and the response of law enforcement to erratic behavior in transit hubs. The emergency stop in Huntingdon prevented further casualties, but the severity of the injuries sustained by the victims remains a significant part of the case. The jury’s decision will hinge on their interpretation of the evidence regarding Williams’s intentions, balancing the physical acts with the psychological state inferred from his words and actions.
Legal experts note that proving intent in attempted murder cases can be complex, especially when defendants exhibit signs of mental distress. The prosecution must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Williams had the specific purpose of causing death. The defense may argue that his actions were impulsive or driven by a different motive. The outcome of this trial could have broader implications for how similar cases are handled in the future.
Sources behind this briefing
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- BBC News↗Huntingdon train attacker said 'I am the baddest', trial hears
