A man entered a plea of not guilty for the alleged attempted murder of ten individuals on a crowded train. Anthony Williams, aged 32, was apprehended in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, following an incident that occurred on an LNER train traveling from Doncaster to London on November 1. At a court appearance in Cambridge, Williams refuted a total of 21 charges brought against him.
The accusations against Williams include ten charges of attempted murder, one of causing bodily harm, and one of possessing a bladed weapon in connection with the train assault. Additionally, he is charged with attempting to murder a 17-year-old on a DLR train at Pontoon Dock in London on the same day. Further allegations involve the attempted murder of a 14-year-old boy in Peterborough on October 31, as well as an attempted murder on a 22-year-old man in the same city on the same day.
Williams is also facing a charge of affray, reportedly occurring at Ritzy’s Barbers in the town on October 31. Moreover, he is accused of stealing a packet of knives valued at £15 from an Asda store in Stevenage.
Previous court proceedings revealed that the two attempted murder incidents and the attempted wounding allegedly happened around 7pm on October 31. The affray at the barbershop was said to have taken place at approximately 7.20pm, and the theft occurred around 10.30pm.
According to Prosecutor Faye Rolfe, the reported common assault transpired around 7am on November 1, leading to the intervention of armed police at Huntingdon station on the same day.
Eyewitnesses suggest that a knife-wielding individual boarded the train at Peterborough and initiated an assault shortly after the train’s departure at approximately 7.30pm. Passengers described chaotic scenes where individuals were trampled, and terrified screams echoed through the train. The severity of the attack resulted in 11 individuals sustaining significant injuries, requiring immediate medical attention. Williams has been detained in custody pending a trial scheduled for October 26.