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Police handling a case involving a man accused of attempting to kill 10 people on a train discovered that he had schizophrenia after his arrest, a court has been informed. Anthony Williams denies charges of attempted murder relating to incidents on a train heading to London, which made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on 1 November last year.
At Cambridge Crown Court, PC Caitlin Brown, who was responsible for taking Williams to hospital and later to a police station, testified that he “appeared to be talking to himself” and made references to the devil. Williams, 33, from Langford Road in Peterborough, is also charged with four other attempted murder offenses connected to previous attacks in Peterborough and London. During the hearing, the jury viewed footage of Williams’ arrest in the Huntingdon railway station car park, where officers used a Taser and a baton gun, a weapon that fires less lethal projectiles, to subdue him.
Statements from officers involved highlighted Williams’ unusual behavior after his arrest. One arresting officer recounted that Williams said something to the effect of “kill me, kill me.” Another officer, PC Matt Panks, noted that Williams was “acting strangely” and seemed “completely unphased by what had occurred,” displaying actions such as rocking and laughing. PC Panks also described hearing Williams repeatedly ask, “Do you reckon it was worth it?” before being reminded that he was under caution.
Sgt James Cox, the custody sergeant at Parkside police station during Williams’ detention, spoke to the jury about how Williams was managed as a vulnerable adult. He authorized the presence of an appropriate adult to support Williams, who was monitored continuously throughout his time in custody. When questioned by Williams’ barrister, Gillian Jones KC, Sgt Cox confirmed that Williams was reported to suffer from psychosis and was on medication. The officers who escorted Williams informed Cox that he had schizophrenia. It was deemed that Williams was unfit for interview. Notes from healthcare staff in custody indicated that Williams appeared to be responding to voices; he laughed when asked about hearing voices and smiled as he said “lots of things.” CCTV footage presented to the court also showed Williams punching an officer in the face shortly after his arrest, and he was observed exhibiting unusual behavior such as repeatedly climbing on a toilet and stroking the air vent. A forensic psychiatrist who examined Williams the following day described him as showing “active psychotic symptoms.” The court learned that Williams was never formally interviewed regarding the allegations against him
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