Huntingdon Train Worker Defended Passengers With Frying Pan During Deadly Knifing Frenzy
A train staff member used a frying pan to stop a stabbing attacker on an LNER service. Read details of the heroic defense at Cambridge Crown Court.
POLICY WIRE — Cambridge, UK — A dramatic court hearing at Cambridge Crown Court revealed that a crew member attempted to thwart a violent knife attack on a train using a frying pan during an incident that left ten people wounded.
33-year-old Anthony Williams is currently facing 10 counts of attempted murder. The charges stem from a London-bound LNER service that was forced to unscheduled stop at Huntingdon on November 1, 2025.
Williams also denies four additional counts of attempted murder linked to separate incidents that occurred previously in London and Peterborough.
Samir Zitouni, a staff member working in the train’s galley when the violence broke out, provided testimony via a video-recorded police interview. He explained that his primary objective was to strike the weapon to force the attacker to drop it.
Zitouni recounted how he was performing his duties when the kitchen door opened to reveal a panicked crowd screaming about a man armed with a knife. He admitted he found the news difficult to process and initially asked onlookers if they were certain.
Realizing he was defenseless, Zitouni grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen to protect himself. He stated that when Williams appeared, the first thing he clearly saw was the blade of the knife.
Despite his efforts to block the attacker, Zitouni was stabbed. He noted he does not remember every detail of the assault due to the terror he felt but determined not to let the attacker pass until the train reached the station.
In his December 16, 2025 interview, Zitouni was seen with his left arm in a sling, suffering injuries to his chest, diaphragm, and spleen. He told a colleague during the chaos that he feared he was going to die.
Passenger Michael Gawthorpe, who witnessed the events but was not injured, described how another person handed him a large toaster. Gawthorpe said he acted instinctively by throwing the object at the attacker, and he believes it struck Williams.
Gawthorpe observed that after the toaster hit, the attacker seemed to realize his momentum had stopped. Simultaneously, the train began to decelerate, which may have provided a distraction for the assailant.
The witness also described the train guard being stabbed several times, forcing the guard to retreat behind other passengers. He recalled watching a bystander freeze in fear before Williams slashed the man’s face.
Passengers reportedly shouted for the attacker to flee and used items like catering trolleys to create barricades across aisles. Gawthorpe noted that Williams shouted that people were trying to kill him, while others urged him to calm down and drop the weapon because there were children on board.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
