Chilling CCTV footage shown to jurors at Cambridge Crown Court has captured the horrific moments leading up to a mass stabbing on a London-bound train, where 33-year-old Anthony Williams allegedly went on a terrifying rampage that left 10 people hospitalized with severe injuries.
The court heard how Williams “brought terror” to the LNER service traveling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on November 1, 2025.
Among those caught in the chaos was heroic Nottingham Forest fan Stephen Crean, a lifelong Reds supporter returning home from a Forest match, who bravely confronted the knife-wielding attacker inside the carriage to protect fellow passengers.
Mr. Crean suffered severe injuries during the violent confrontation—including permanent damage to his left hand—that prosecutors revealed have had a profound, life-altering impact on his daily life.
”Stumbling and Swigging”: CCTV Captures Attacker’s Disturbing Pre-Rampage Behavior
Video evidence presented to the jury on Tuesday (November 3) showed Williams, dressed in a black hoodie, jogging bottoms, and a baseball cap, boarding the service before exhibiting deeply erratic behavior:
- Toilet Hiding: Immediately after boarding, Williams entered a sliding-door toilet at the end of the carriage before stumbling back out into the vestibule area.
- Slumped Against Walls: Footage captured Williams slumping heavily against the train wall, struggling to maintain his balance while taking an unmarked bottle from his pocket, swigging from it, and failing multiple times to put it back into his hoodie.
- The Attack Unfolds: After going back into the toilet and being accidentally walked in on by another passenger, Williams entered the main passenger carriage wobbling side to side—before pulling out a massive knife and striking panic across the train.
As passengers fled for their lives through the narrow aisles, Stephen Crean stepped into the attacker’s path to stall the violence.
Cambridge Crown Court Trial: 14 Counts of Attempted Murder
Presiding judge Mr. Justice Calver informed the jury that whether Williams was the individual who carried out the horrific physical stabbings is not in dispute.
Instead, the core focus of the trial rests on establishing whether Williams possessed the direct criminal intent to kill his victims when he launched the multi-location knife attacks.
Williams has officially pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of attempted murder relating to the LNER train attack, while also denying:
- 3 Counts of Attempted Murder: Relating to a separate violent knife incident in Peterborough on October 31, 2025.
- 1 Count of Attempted Murder: Connected to a knife attack on a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) train in London during the early hours of November 1, 2025.
A Forest Hero’s Sacrifice Amid Trial High Stakes
As forensic evidence and CCTV footage continue to be examined in court, the courage of Stephen Crean stands out as a remarkable act of bravery amid a dark tragedy.
The trial at Cambridge Crown Court continues as prosecutors lay out the full timeline of Williams’ multi-city crime spree, with the jury tasked with deciding the attacker’s fate over the coming weeks.
