Huntingdon train stab suspect could be linked to string of knife incidents in hours before rampage
Police are investigating whether the man accused of trying to kill 10 people during the Huntingdon train attack is linked to a series of stabbing incidents in the hours before the bloody rampage.
Anthony Williams, 32, was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder on Monday morning following the attack on an LNER train bound for London King’s Cross on Saturday evening.
He was also charged with attempted murder over an incident at London’s Pontoon Dock DLR station in the early hours of Saturday, in which a victim was slashed across the face with a knife.
Detectives are now also investigating whether the suspect is linked to three other stabbing incidents in Peterborough before the Saturday attack.
Cambridgeshire Police said a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in the city center on Friday evening. It was stated that the person who was taken to the hospital was slightly injured.
Fifteen minutes later a knife-wielding man entered a barbershop in Fletton, Peterborough, but the incident was not reported to police until two hours later.
At 9.25am the next day, a second report of a man with a knife in the same barbershop was made. When the police arrived at the scene 18 minutes later, they could not find the suspect at the scene.
The three horrific incidents will form part of British Transport Police’s investigation into the Huntingdon train horror, detectives said on Monday.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs on Monday that the public would have “many unanswered questions” about the train attacker and that there was “much more” the government could do with “new and evolving technology” to tackle knife crime.
He praised the “breathtaking bravery” of those on the train, including one member of staff who put himself in harm’s way and confronted the attacker.
He said: “He went to work on Saturday to do his job; today he is a hero and will forever be.”
LNER staff remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital following stabbings on the high-speed service.
Responding to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, Ms Mahmood said: “This government will consult on a legal framework so that all police forces across the country can use live facial recognition technology and make sure they do not find themselves defending these decisions in the courts in the future.”
He added: “I think there is so much more we can do to use new and emerging technology to help us tackle this type of crime.”
Ms Mahmood said the “majority” of those with knives received “reasonably long prison sentences”, adding: “Once we know more about the circumstances of this particular case, we will know whether there are further lessons to be learned and other areas of policy to consider.”
On Monday, Cambridgeshire Police confirmed it had referred him to the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog over the incidents in Peterborough, but the organization said he did not meet the referral criteria.
The new scope of the investigation has been revealed as stunning new details emerged about how the horrific attack on a busy train in Cambridgeshire was uncovered.
Dozens of passengers had to barricade themselves in carriages and try to protect themselves from the brutal stabbings.
Stephen Creen, 61, told how he was stabbed six times after confronting his attacker, who had nothing but his fists.
A Nottingham Forest supporter said he was returning from the match when he heard a carriage door open and people running and shouting “run, run, run, the man’s got a knife”.
“They all crowded into the buffet car and the toilets like you and locked the doors, that was it for me,” he said. Telegram.
“He came towards me and said, ‘Do you want to die?’ he said. That’s exactly what he said.”
Mr Creen said he was stabbed multiple times, including in his left hand, back, hip and head. He managed to escape his attacker by entering an empty toilet and locking the door before the train reached Huntingdon station.
Passengers activated emergency alarms on the LNER service and the vehicle was diverted to Huntingdon where the suspect was arrested.
The club has confirmed that Scunthorpe United player Jonathan Gjoshe was one of the victims of Saturday’s train attack.
The club said in a post about X that he suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the attack but remained in hospital.
Williams appeared in Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday in handcuffs, flanked by four security guards, and spoke in a soft voice to confirm his name, age and address.
He was not asked to submit a petition, and when asked for his address he muttered: “No fixed abode.”
He allegedly used a “large kitchen knife” in both the London and Huntingdon attacks, according to court documents.
The court heard Williams also faces an assault charge after he attacked a male police officer in custody, breaking his nose after his arrest.
District judge Ken Sheraton remanded Williams in custody to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on December 1.
It is understood he was not recognized by security services or counter-terrorism police and was not referred to the government’s counter-extremism plan, Prevent.
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said there would be an increase in the number of visible police patrols at stations but insisted public transport was safe.
Armed police were seen patrolling busy London stations, including King’s Cross, on Monday morning.
The Prime Minister has opposed installing airport-style scanners at train stations, saying it would not be “proportionate or practical”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the government “takes all criminal activity on our railways and public transport network extremely seriously”, adding: “It is important to strike a balance between the impact on the rail network and passengers’ journeys.”
