A man who allegedly carried out a stabbing attack on a train fled when the victim's dog began barking aggressively, a court has heard.
Scott Green was traveling on the LNER train from Doncaster to London on November 1 of last year when he was attacked by Anthony Williams. Green testified that his cockapoo, Poppy, jumped up and barked, startling Williams and prompting him to flee. "She's only a cockapoo… she's gone into attack mode," Green told jurors at Cambridge Crown Court.
CCTV footage shown to the court depicted passengers running through the train aisles as the incident unfolded. Williams then entered Green's carriage and attacked him. Green attempted to grab the knife but was forced to release it due to its sharpness. He recalled that Williams appeared to have "nothing in his eyes," describing the attacker as "soulless, no expression, no reaction."
Green managed to escape in the opposite direction with Poppy, and another passenger helped them find safety in a toilet. He realized he was bleeding heavily and had been stabbed.
Williams, 33, is on trial for 14 counts of attempted murder. He denies attempting to murder ten people on the train in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, as well as three other attempted murder charges related to incidents in Peterborough and Pontoon Dock DLR station in London around the same time.
Other passengers also recounted the terrifying events. Kevin Deely recalled trying to shield a woman and throwing luggage in Williams' direction. He later realized he too had been stabbed. Jonathan Gjoshe stated he was "drenched with blood" and urged others to run, fearing for his life. David Presland, 73 at the time, was stabbed in the back while on the floor of the train after someone stepped on his face amid the chaos.
Jurors have been instructed by Judge Mr. Justice Calver that the primary question is not whether Williams carried out the attacks, but whether he intended to kill his victims.