Suspect in London-bound train stabbing is accused of two earlier attacks
The suspect in Saturday’s stabbing on a London-bound train is now under investigation for other alleged crimes, including stabbing two minors in separate incidents.
Anthony Williams, 32, was arrested on Saturday in connection with a stabbing attack which injured 11 people, including a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) staff member, whose life was in danger, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
Police said they have since charged Williams with four other offences, including the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy on Friday night and the attack of a 17-year-old earlier on Saturday, before the train stabbing.
Police said Tuesday afternoon that a 14-year-old boy was stabbed at 7:10 p.m. on Friday in downtown Peterborough on Henry Penn Walk, adding that the boy was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries.
The suspect fled and the police, despite the help of a police dog, were unable to find him.
A man armed with a knife also entered a hair salon in Fletton, a neighborhood of Peterborough, around the same time Friday, police said. The matter was reported to Cambridgeshire Police two hours later, but the man had left the store so officers were not dispatched.
At 12:46 a.m. on Saturday, police received a report that a 17-year-old youth “suffered facial injuries after being attacked with a knife” on a Docklands Light Railway train at Pontoon Dock station.
“The suspect had left the scene before police arrived,” police said. “BTP subsequently identified Anthony Williams as a suspect and took steps to locate and arrest him that day.”
Hours later, at 9.25am, Fletton barbers reported “a further incident” to Cambridgeshire Police. Police arrived about 18 minutes later, but were unable to find the suspect.
At 7.42pm, police and medics rushed to a station in Huntingdon, northwest Cambridge, after reports of a stabbing on an LNER train. The train stopped unexpectedly when emergency services responded, police said.
An LNER staff member who attempted to arrest the suspect – later identified by police as Williams – was seriously injured. The staff member, whom police hailed as a hero, “remains stable but seriously ill”, police said. Three other victims are hospitalized in stable condition.
Following the attack, Superintendent John Loveless said “there is nothing to suggest this was a terrorist incident”, pointing out that Williams was born in the UK and is originally from Peterborough.
BTP detectives are now investigating all five incidents, police said, adding that “active inquiries are ongoing.”
Williams was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of battery and one count of possession of a sharp article in Saturday’s attack, according to police. He was also charged with attempted murder in connection with the Pontoon Dock incident.
“Criminal investigation is a priority for British Transport Police, and we work closely with Cambridgeshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service,” said Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Cundy. “We also launched measures this week to increase police visibility across the rail network to reassure both rail staff and the traveling public.”
Cundy asked anyone seeing “something that doesn’t seem normal” to contact the British Transport Police.
