A woman has been brought before the court on charges of using scissors to stab four men in the back in Covent Garden, London. Stella Gollovena, aged 47, allegedly assaulted Patrick De Barr, Thomas Harding, Adrian Lovett, and Mantas Jankus in an incident that occurred on a Wednesday afternoon.
She is facing allegations of four counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of possessing an offensive weapon, specifically a pair of scissors, in a public location. Gollovena, who does not have a fixed address, was presented with the five charges during a hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon.
According to reports from the hearing, police were alerted by one of the injured victims on Endell Street, a bustling area with bars, theaters, and restaurants, around 12:25 pm. The victim and another individual informed the police that they had been stabbed, leading to a pursuit and the use of a Taser to apprehend the suspect.
The court was informed that statements were taken from four men who received medical treatment for stab wounds to their backs, with a fifth individual claiming to have also been stabbed but declined to provide a statement at the scene. It is alleged that Gollovena was in possession of a pair of scissors, referred to as shears, at the time of her arrest.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram ordered Gollovena to remain in custody until the next hearing scheduled at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 3. Gollovena confirmed her identity but did not enter any pleas regarding the charges.
Following the stabbings, an air ambulance landed in a busy Trafalgar Square on the same afternoon. The London Ambulance Service disclosed that they treated four patients at the scene and transported them to a major trauma center as a priority by road. The Metropolitan Police stated that the four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 56, sustained stab wounds but have since been discharged from the hospital as their injuries were not considered life-threatening or life-altering.