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Arrest Footage Shown as Sentencing Continues in Attempted Murder of Army Officer

Prosecutors say he chose the victim for his uniform as the judge weighs planning evidence alongside psychiatric findings.

Overview

  • Maidstone Crown Court viewed video of Anthony Esan’s arrest at 6:17pm, less than an hour after the stabbing, with officers detaining him beside his moped.
  • Forensic psychiatrist Professor Nigel Blackwood told the court experts agree Esan had schizophrenia at the time and said he believes Esan deliberately selected an Army officer.
  • Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC described a targeted, premeditated attack, citing searches for knives, TikTok knife-attack videos, and the query “Woolwich soldier murdered.”
  • Lt Col Mark Teeton and his wife delivered emotional statements, with Mrs Teeton credited for pulling the attacker away and medics calling his survival “miraculous.”
  • Esan pleaded guilty in January to attempted murder and possessing two bladed weapons, and the three-day sentencing hearing is ongoing.