Anthony Williams, accused of attempting to murder 10 people on a London-bound train, was heard saying "I am the baddest, no-one is as bad as me" on another train the day before the attack, Cambridge Crown Court was told.
Williams, 33, denies 14 counts of attempted murder related to events on the train and in Peterborough and London on October 31 and November 1 last year. The court has heard that Williams's actions are not in dispute, but the prosecution must prove his intent to kill.
On the evening of October 31, a passenger texted British Transport Police about a male behaving erratically on a train departing Peterborough. Keirah Lee-Oakman stated that the male appeared to be talking to himself, walked the carriages uttering "boom and power," and repeatedly said "I haven't got it," while also referencing the devil. She described his behavior as aggressive and intimidating, making her feel unsafe.
Police officers responded at Stevenage station, but the individual reportedly dropped onto the tracks, prompting officers to deem further pursuit unsafe. The next day, November 1, Williams boarded a train from Peterborough towards London. Another passenger, Abbie Harrison-Evans, reported hearing a male shouting from the front of the train and playing Halloween music on his phone. She initially believed he might be suffering from a mental condition.
Harrison-Evans told the court that Williams was seen grabbing a black rucksack beside him and repeatedly saying "I'm going to do it." She felt he was reaching into the bag and had a feeling he was going to hurt them. Ethan Daniels, Harrison-Evans's partner, confirmed hearing the man state, "I am the baddest, no-one is as bad as me."
Williams is accused of attempting to murder ten individuals on the London-bound train between Peterborough and Huntingdon. He is also accused of attempting to murder a teenager on a Docklands Light Railway train in east London in the early hours of November 1. The trial is ongoing.