Accountant Accused of Stabbing Officer During Raid Claims Self-Defense, £500,000 Found

A chartered accountant, Charles Charalambous, 56, has pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent to prevent or resist arrest. The charge stems from an incident during a police raid on his home in Cockfosters, north London, on Tuesday morning.

During the raid, which was part of a series targeting the 'Hunt Syndicate' allegedly linked to gangster David Hunt, a police officer was stabbed in the leg. The officer was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover fully.

Prosecutor David Burns informed Westminster Magistrates' Court that a significant sum of cash, totaling £500,000, was discovered at Charalambous's property. The court heard that Charalambous, who has no prior convictions, is also facing money laundering allegations and is due to appear at a police station on November 15 in relation to those charges.

Charalambous's defense barrister, Clea Topolski, told the court that her client was at home with his wife and three children when the raid began. She stated that Charalambous pressed a panic alarm and called 999 to report burglars, believing the officers, who were wearing balaclavas and dark clothing and arrived in the "dead of night," were intruders. He then allegedly used a knife from his home to stab the officer through a broken door panel.

Topolski argued that Charalambous was acting in self-defense and only realized he was under arrest after being Tasered and the officers identified themselves. He was denied bail and is scheduled to appear next at Southwark Crown Court on October 28.