Anthony Williams denies attempting to murder passengers and staff on a London-bound train. Cambridge Crown Court heard he was treated as a vulnerable adult in custody and was judged unfit to be interviewed.
Police officers who dealt with Anthony Williams after his arrest recorded that he had schizophrenia, a jury at Cambridge Crown Court has heard. Mr Williams, 33, of Langford Road in Peterborough, denies attempting to murder passengers and staff on a London-bound train. The train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on 1 November last year. He also denies four further counts of attempted murder linked to earlier attacks in Peterborough and London. The trial continues.
The issue for the jury
The court has been told that it is not in dispute that Mr Williams carried out the attacks. Jurors must decide whether he intended to kill. Prosecutors allege he tried to murder 10 people on the train. They also allege that on 31 October he tried to kill three people in Peterborough, and that in the early hours of 1 November he tried to kill a teenager on a DLR train in east London.
The arrest
Jurors were shown footage of the arrest in the car park of Huntingdon railway station. The court heard that a Taser and a baton gun, which fires less lethal objects, were used against him. In a statement read to the court, the arresting officer said Mr Williams said something along the lines of “kill me, kill me”.
PC Caitlin Brown, who helped take him to hospital and then to the police station, said he “appeared to be talking to himself” and spoke about the devil. PC Matt Panks, another officer who transported him, said in his statement that Mr Williams was “acting strangely, appeared completely unphased by what had occurred… he was rocking and laughing”. He said he heard Mr Williams ask, “Do you reckon it was worth it?”, and repeat it, before he reminded him that he was under caution.
In custody
Sgt James Cox, the custody sergeant at Parkside police station in Cambridge, gave evidence in person. The court heard Mr Williams was “treated as a vulnerable adult” and that the sergeant authorised an appropriate adult to support him. Officers kept him under constant watch.
Gillian Jones KC, representing Mr Williams, took the sergeant through the detention log. She said it had been reported to him that Mr Williams suffered from psychosis. “I believe so, yes,” he replied. She said it was also reported that he took medication, and Sgt Cox again replied: “I believe so, yes.” The sergeant said it was his assessment that Mr Williams “didn’t appear to be intoxicated”, and told the court escorting officers had informed him that Mr Williams “suffered from schizophrenia”. It was determined that the detainee was not fit to be interviewed.
Ms Jones told the court that a note from a healthcare worker in the custody logs said Mr Williams “appeared to be responding to voices”. She said the note recorded that he laughed and agreed when asked whether he was hearing voices. Asked what the voices were saying, “he smiled and said ‘lots of things’”, according to the note.
Jurors have also seen CCTV footage of Mr Williams punching an officer in the face in the early hours of 2 November. They heard he was seen “climbing on his toilet several times and stroking the air vent”. The following afternoon, a forensic psychiatrist advised that he had observed “active psychotic symptoms”. Mr Williams was never interviewed about the allegations, the court heard.
