A man entered a plea of not guilty for the alleged attempted murder of ten individuals aboard a crowded train. Anthony Williams, aged 32, was apprehended in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire following an incident on an LNER train traveling from Doncaster to London on November 1. He faced a total of 21 charges at Cambridge Crown Court, denying all allegations.
Williams is specifically accused of ten counts of attempted murder, one count of causing bodily harm, and one count of possessing a bladed weapon in connection to the train incident. Additionally, he is charged with attempted murder of a 17-year-old on a DLR train at Pontoon Dock in London on the same date.
Further accusations include attempted murder of a 14-year-old boy in Peterborough on October 31 and an attempted murder of a 22-year-old man in the same city on the same day. Williams is also charged with affray at Ritzy’s Barbers on October 31 and theft of a pack of knives valued at £15 from an Asda store in Stevenage.
During the court proceedings, it was detailed that the alleged attempted murders and wounding occurred around 7pm on October 31, with the affray following at approximately 7.20pm and the theft incident reported around 10.30pm on the same day. The prosecution mentioned a common assault around 7am on November 1, leading to the police intervention at Huntingdon station.
Reports suggest that a knife-wielding individual boarded the train at Peterborough and initiated an assault shortly after the train’s departure around 7.30pm. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene where passengers were injured, sought refuge in restrooms, and cries for help filled the air.
Witnesses initially mistook the situation for a Halloween prank before realizing the severity of the situation, resulting in multiple injuries among 11 individuals who were promptly taken to hospitals for medical care. Williams was detained in custody pending a trial scheduled for October 26.