Trial hears train crew member showed bravery during stabbing attack

Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court have watched CCTV footage of a train crew member using a frying pan to defend people during a mass stabbing on a Doncaster to London King's Cross train. Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC told the court that Samir Zitouni showed great courage in trying to save lives. The attack happened before the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon on 1 November 2025. The defendant, 33-year-old Anthony Williams of Langford Road in Peterborough, denies attempting to murder 10 people on the train, three people in Peterborough the day before, and a boy at a London railway station. The trial has heard that whether Williams carried out the attacks is not in question, but the jury must decide if he intended to kill. Paxton described the attack on Zitouni as prolonged, persistent, and brutal, adding that Zitouni told the defendant they loved him and could help him. Footage showed people fleeing the train while Zitouni appeared to be one of the last to leave, wearing a blood-soaked shirt and falling into the gap between the train and the platform. Zitouni suffered punctured lungs and required four blood transfusions, chest drains, and a ventilator. The court heard that a passenger named Raza Aslam first grabbed the frying pan before being stabbed in the hand, after which Zitouni started throwing items at the defendant and saved Aslam's life. Aslam told police that Williams looked like he was loving every moment and had the greatest delight on his face. Other victims suffered severe injuries during the five-minute ordeal, including Sachin Balakrishnan, who had a lung punctured and was centimetres from his heart, and 73-year-old David Presland, who was stabbed in the back. Passengers also included Scott Green, who was travelling with his dog Poppy, a pet Paxton said helped save the day and send the defendant running after Green was targeted. ## Context Court trials involving serious criminal charges rely on detailed evidence like CCTV footage and witness testimony to establish the exact sequence of events and the intent of the accused. Juries must carefully examine this evidence to reach a verdict on complex charges such as attempted murder.