Anthony Williams goes on trial over 14 alleged attempted murders in three cities
Anthony Williams, 33, is on trial accused of 14 counts of attempted murder after a series of knife attacks in Peterborough, London and aboard a train. Prosecutors told Cambridge Crown Court that passengers fled in fear during the train attack, which ended when the driver diverted the service to Huntingdon, where Williams was arrested. The jury must decide whether he intended to kill those he attacked.
The alleged attacks began on 31 October last year, when a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in Peterborough and two men were also attacked nearby. Williams is then accused of stabbing a 17-year-old on the Docklands Light Railway before boarding an LNER train from Doncaster to London on 1 November, where ten people were attacked. He admits using a knife and intending to cause really serious harm, but denies attempted murder; he appeared in court by video link from Rampton Hospital.
In short
- Anthony Williams denies 14 attempted murder charges.
- The alleged attacks spanned Peterborough, London and an LNER train.
- The jury will consider whether he intended to kill his victims.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The prosecution’s case is that the number and sequence of attacks, the use of a knife against multiple people, and the circumstances on the train support the conclusion that Williams intended to kill. The jury may consider whether the alleged conduct went beyond an intention to cause serious injury and amounted to attempted murder.
The case against
The defence can accept that Williams used a knife and intended to cause really serious harm while disputing that he intended to kill anyone. Attempted murder requires proof of that specific intent, so the jury must distinguish an intention to inflict grave injuries from an intention to cause death, based on the evidence in each alleged attack.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trial begins of man, 33, accused of 14 counts of attempted murder after stabbings on train and street attacks”.