Nov. 4 (UPI) — British police investigating a mass stabbing on board a train that put 11 people in the hospital were looking for links between a man charged in the attack and three other knife crimes in the hours beforehand, including an attack on a 14-year-old boy.
The boy was stabbed in the center of Peterborough on Friday night while a barbershop in the city made two 911 calls reporting a man wielding a large knife at the premises, first on Friday and again on Saturday morning when the knifeman returned.
The revelations have led to questions over whether Saturday night’s stabbing rampage aboard a high-speed London-bound train could have been prevented if 32-year-old Anthony Williams, the alleged attacker, had been stopped sooner.
Williams appeared before Peterborough Magistrates Court on Monday charged with 10 counts of attempted murder and a separate attempted murder count related to a knife attack on a train in London in the early hours of Saturday.
He did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Dec. 1.
Prosecutor Olaide Esan told the court Williams was dangerous and must not be granted bail.
“The defendant has attempted to murder 11 people in total. These are serious allegations. These are very serious offenses. The defendant is a risk to the trains and to the members of the public.”
Cambridgeshire Police said investigations were launched into all three incidents and that officers and dog units were dispatched to the scene of the stabbing in the center of Peterborough to search for the assailant.
Officers also attended the second report of the knifewielding man, but not the first, because it was judged that too much time had passed between the incident and when the 911 call was made.
Nevertheless, the police department reported itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the watchdog for law enforcement in England and Wales.
The matter was complicated by the fact that the investigation of the train mass stabbing is being led by British Transport Police — not Cambridgeshire Police, which is responsible for the area where the incident occurred — with jurisdiction to go wherever the evidence leads it.
“We are currently reviewing all incidents in the timeframe to understand whether there were any further potential offenses. British Transport Police retain primacy for the overall investigation, which will include these three incidents,” Cambridgeshire Police said.
British Transport Police confirmed it was looking at the other incidents.
“The criminal investigation and support for the victims is a priority for British Transport Police. Our investigation is also looking at other possible linked offenses,” said BTP Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy.
Meanwhile, BTP named a London North Eastern Railway worker critically injured in Saturday’s attack, who authorities said had saved many lives by his actions, as 48-year-old Samir Zitouni.
Cundy described Zitouni’s actions on the Doncaster to London King’s Cross service as “nothing short of heroic.”
LNER managing director David Horne said, Zitouni, a 20-year veteran of the company, had shown unbelievable bravery.
“In a moment of crisis, Sam did not hesitate as he stepped forward to protect those around him. His actions were incredibly brave, and we are so proud of him, and of all our colleagues who acted with such courage that evening. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Sam and his family. We will continue to support them and wish him a full and speedy recovery,” said Horne.
Zitouni remained in a “critically unwell” but stable condition in the hospital, BTP said.
