Overview
- Prosecutors opened the case at Cambridge Crown Court on 28 October, saying the Doncaster-to-London service attack was a five-minute rampage that wounded 10 people on 1 November last year.
- The defendant, Anthony Williams, has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wounding with intent for the train incident but denies 14 counts of attempted murder covering attacks on the train, in Peterborough and at Pontoon Dock DLR.
- The prosecution says evidence shown to jurors includes CCTV of a passenger struggling with the knife and testimony that Williams asked ‘Do you want to die?’, which it presents as proof of intent to kill.
- Passengers and crew tried to stop the attacker — one crew member was stabbed after using a frying pan to intervene — and the train was later stopped at Huntingdon where the injured were removed.
- The trial will turn on legal intent not just action, and its outcome could influence scrutiny of rail security and how emergency teams and staff are trained to respond to onboard attacks.