A 14-year-old boy who was stabbed by a man accused of attempting to kill multiple people on a London-bound train told a court he believed his attacker was not mentally stable. According to BBC News, the teenager was attacked in Peterborough on 31 October, the day before Anthony Williams is alleged to have launched a mass stabbing on a train that made an emergency stop in Huntingdon in November 2025. The trial at Cambridge Crown Court is examining whether Williams, 33, of Langford Road in Peterborough, intended to kill his victims, as he has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wounding with intent but denies 14 counts of attempted murder.
In a video recorded interview shown to jurors, the boy described the moment he was attacked without warning.
"This random guy, I'd literally never seen in my life, he just pulls out a knife and stabs me."He was on a footbridge over the River Nene with a friend when the assault occurred. The teenager observed that the knife appeared to have been drawn from the attacker's waistband, and he believed he was targeted because of his proximity to Williams.
"I didn't feel like he was mentally sane. His eyes were wide open like he was on something."
The boy described the physical sensation of being stabbed as surprisingly mild given the circumstances. He told the court that despite the severity of the attack, he had experienced such intense adrenaline that the knife wound felt
"like a poke in the chest."Both teenagers fled the scene immediately after the assault.
What happened on the day of the Peterborough attacks?
Three separate attacks occurred in Peterborough on 31 October. The 14-year-old boy and another victim, Dawid Taborski, were both stabbed on the footbridge near Henry Penn Walk. Shortly afterwards, William Ogelby was attacked at Railworld car park in the city. The prosecution has indicated that Williams' mental health may be relevant to the trial, though the defendant's state of mind at the time of the incidents remains a central question for jurors to determine.
What occurred on the train between Peterborough and Huntingdon?
The following day, on Saturday evening in November 2025, Williams is accused of attempting to murder seven passengers on the train: Raza Aslam, Sachin Balakrishnan, Stephen Crean, Kevin Deely, Scott Green, David Presland and Samir Zitouni. According to ITV News, passenger Stephen Crean reported that Williams asked him, "Do you want to die?" while Crean attempted to wrestle the knife away from him. The prosecution presented this exchange as evidence of the defendant's intent to kill.
Three additional passengers—Scott Bletcher, Jonathan Gjoshe and Michael Paffett—are also named in the attempted murder charges related to the train incident. The emergency stop in Huntingdon brought the attack to an end. According to reports, passengers fought back using kitchen items available on the train, including a frying pan wielded by train worker Samir Zitouni to help subdue the attacker.
Were there other attacks attributed to Williams?
Beyond the Peterborough and train incidents, Williams is accused of attempting to murder a teenager on a Docklands Light Railway train in London in the early hours of 1 November. This attack forms part of the broader pattern of violence that prosecutors argue demonstrates a sustained intent to cause serious harm.
What are the legal charges?
Williams denies all 14 counts of attempted murder brought against him. Four of these charges relate to the attacks prior to the mass train stabbing, while ten concern the train incident and the London underground attack. However, BBC News has reported that Williams has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wounding with intent and two counts of attempting to wound with intent. The central legal question for the jury is not whether Williams carried out the attacks—this is not disputed—but rather whether he possessed the specific intent to kill those individuals at the time of each assault.
What is the timeline of the trial?
The trial began on 28 October and is expected to last approximately six weeks. Proceedings were continuing as of 29 October, with jurors hearing evidence from victims and witnesses about the nature and circumstances of each attack. The court has heard that eleven people received hospital treatment following the train attack, and police have stated there was nothing to suggest the incidents were terrorism-related.
