Train Attack Suspect Hit With 7 New Attempted Murder Charges

Anthony Williams, 32, has been hit with seven additional charges, including two new counts of attempted murder, following further investigations into a series of violent incidents that took place on 31 October in Peterborough. The fresh charges come on top of the ten attempted murder counts he already faces for the mass stabbing aboard an LNER train near Huntingdon on 1 November, which left 11 people injured and sparked a major national response.

According to British Transport Police, the latest attempted murder allegations relate to two separate attacks in Peterborough. The first involved a 14-year-old boy targeted on a footbridge above Henry Penn Walk. The second concerned a 22-year-old man assaulted close to the Rail World car park. Both incidents reportedly occurred within a short time span on the same day.

Williams has also been charged with attempted grievous bodily harm against a 28-year-old man, as well as affray and possession of a bladed weapon following an incident inside Ritzy’s barbershop in Peterborough. Police added that he is accused of stealing a £15 pack of kitchen knives from an Asda store in Stevenage shortly before the series of attacks began. Another charge relates to the common assault of a 31-year-old man on a train travelling between Hitchin and Biggleswade, further expanding the timeline of alleged violence.

The suspect did not appear for Wednesday’s court hearing and was not asked to enter any pleas. He has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on 17 December, where all charges across the connected investigations will be consolidated.

The new developments add further weight to an already complex case that has gripped public attention since the Huntingdon train stabbing earlier this month. In that attack, passengers and staff were left injured, with one LNER worker praised for using a frying pan in an attempt to disarm the attacker. Police have described the new charges as “significant,” stressing the extensive multi-force effort between British Transport Police, Cambridgeshire Police, Hertfordshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service.