Huntingdon train attack passengers thought stabbing was a ‘joke’

During a harrowing incident on November 1st last year, Anthony Williams allegedly stabbed ten people aboard a train that made an unexpected stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Initially, some passengers did not recognize the severity of the situation when Williams warned others with the words, “I’ve been stabbed, run,” believing it to be a joke. The attack happened on an LNER service traveling from York to London King’s Cross, shortly after departing from Peterborough.

At Cambridge Crown Court, the first victim, Jonathan Gjoshe, recounted his experience during a recorded interview played for the jury. Gjoshe described being stabbed while on his phone in carriage J. He initially thought Williams was someone familiar, noting, “I’ve made eye contact with him… he’s pulled a knife, but I just think it was the way he’s poked me, the way he’s stabbed me, it was a bit weird because it was slow.” Upon feeling the full impact of the wound and seeing his arm drenched in blood, adrenaline kicked in, prompting him to jump over a train table to escape the attacker. As he moved through the carriage warning others, some passengers remained seated, assuming the warning was a prank. Gjoshe later spent four days in hospital, anxiously asking staff, “Am I going to die today or not? Please tell me this.”

Another victim, David Presland, provided testimony about his ordeal as he was stabbed while on his hands and knees. The 73-year-old expressed his fear, stating, “I thought I was going to die,” and acknowledged his fortune in surviving the attack. He also mentioned how a fellow passenger named Kevin assisted him during the chaos. The court heard that the individuals targeted on the London-bound train included Raza Aslam, Scott Bletcher, Stephen Crean, Kevin Deely, Scott Green, Michael Paffett, and Samir Zitouni.

Williams, 33, from Peterborough, faces charges of ten counts of attempted murder related to this incident, along with four additional attempted murder charges from previous episodes in Peterborough and London. It has been confirmed during the trial that whether Williams carried out these attacks is not disputed. Instead, the jury’s focus is on establishing whether he had the intent to kill. The proceedings are ongoing as the court continues to hear evidence and testimonies