Huntington train attack, USA News (Cambridge, UK): Jurors in the Huntington train attack trial have been shown terrifying CCTV footage of a heroic railway worker using a frying pan to fight off a man armed with a knife. Anthony Williams has admitted attacking passengers on the LNER service in November last year, but has denied attempting to murder 10 people on board the train. Attending the hearing via video link, he was seen wearing a grey jumper and appeared emotionless throughout the proceedings. At his trial at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, jurors were shown terrifying CCTV footage of the ordeal.
In the video, rail worker Samir Zitouni could be seen bravely wielding a frying pan aloft as he tried to fight the knifeman back. After Williams was forced back into the train’s first class carriage, one passenger who had been attacked could be seen joining forces with Mr Zitouni and using a toaster as an improvised weapon. Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC hailed the pair’s extraordinary bravery in confronting the 33-year-old. He told the court that trapped and facing the defendant, who had been wielding, slashing out and stabbing with his knife, some sought to defend themselves and others on the train, showing extraordinary bravery in the face of the defendant’s onslaught.
Mr Paxton KC noted that individuals picked up frying pans or toasters to fight the defendant back, even trying to de-escalate the situation by asking him why he was doing it and telling him that they loved him, but to no avail as the defendant continued his knife attack, slashing out and stabbing those around him. Praising the rail worker for standing his ground in the face of immediate danger, prosecutor Paxton added that of course, it was no match for the defendant’s knife, and Mr Zitouni was stabbed multiple times.
Jurors were also shown footage of passenger Stephen Crean fighting back against the suspect’s marauding attack. Mr Crean could be seen hurling himself at the knifeman, with the pair wrestling for control of the weapon before the passenger was stabbed multiple times, including in the head. Mr Paxton KC told the court the passenger made a lunge for the attacker after he was asked whether he wanted to die. He explained that by the time the defendant and Mr Crean interacted, many had been stabbed, and Mr Crean decided he had to try to stop it.
Last week, Williams pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wounding with intent and two of attempting to wound, affray at a barber shop in Peterborough and stealing knives from an Asda location in Stevenage. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place in Peterborough, Pontoon Dock DLR station at Silvertown, East London, and on the train between Peterborough and Huntington on the day of the mass stabbing. He also admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm of a police officer and common assault on a train travelling between London St Pancras and Biggleswade in Bedfordshire on November 1. He previously pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Jonathan Gjoshe, Sachin Balakrishnan, David Presland, Scott Bletcher, Scott Green, Kevin Deely, Raza Aslam, Michael Paffett, Mr Crean and Mr Zitouni on the LNER service, along with denying other attempted murder charges in Peterborough and at Pontoon Dock DLR station. The trial continues.
