Multiple stabbings on train Huntingdon

I agree Wyllow3 - Mental ill health is something that can affect anyone, there's a lot of misconceptions about cause and treatment etc. As you say the media stoke the flames, as they do with many subjects.

The arrest has now taken place of Anthony Williams. The most concerning thing is he had already attacked someone on a train on Saturday morning. If he’d been arrested then this horrific incident could have been avoided.

I read that Avalon, it wasn't clear if he was apprehended, I can't believe he would be allowed to go after that, I imagine he just scarpered.

The knife was massive, I do hope the woman seriously injured recovers.

Now named as Anthony Williams. Just speculating but mental illness is a likely reason for him stabbing innocent passengers. I wonder if he was known to authorities and how they will react. Failings of the system again to treat people at risk of harming others seem to be the norm these days.

growstuff

Thank you Doodledog, although I expect something will be released soon. I'm fairly sure that actual medical details are private and can't be released.

Apparently (according to Facebook and a photo to prove it), he was seen in a barbers in Peterborough that morning, brandishing a knife. The poster claimed that he reported the incident to the police, but nothing happened. It could be a hoax, but if it's true, the police are going to be in the spotlight.

Someone I know told me they saw someone brandishing a large knife in the vicinity of a school. He phoned the police but they weren’t interested.

Sorry didn't look at other comments. Avalon already mentioned his name. Where was the other stabbing incident on Saturday morning?

I'd bet he had paranoid schizophrenia. I think it was reported that when he was caught, he told officers to kill him.

Interestingly it says he was remanded in custody, often when somebody was remanded to a secure hospital it does says that in the court reports.

Why do they print those headlines?
Clickbait.

Freshair

Sorry didn't look at other comments. Avalon already mentioned his name. Where was the other stabbing incident on Saturday morning?

Another count of attempted murder in a separate incident at Pontoon Dock Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station, London, in the early hours of Saturday
Another count of possession of a bladed article in connection to the incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station

Source BBC news - also reported that he broke a Policeman's nose whilst in custody.

RockingGrandma

I worked in mental health services, and I hate to burst your bubble, but I had many clients who had Paranoid Schizophrenia who were living in the community, and able to travel on public transport on their own. This was 15 or so years ago, and since then mental health services are under even more pressure, without enough inpatient beds. I have a friend who’s daughter is very unwell with MH problems, and in an ideal world would be hospitalised for treatment, but is living on her own in her flat, with very little professional support, but highly medicated- unless she chooses to stop her meds that is. Am only writing this to bring some reality into the discussion around MH services - in the latest report re the attacker there is no mention of him having MH problems, and speculation really doesn’t help. My thoughts are with the victims, especially the train employee who apparently put himself in danger to protect others, and anyone else affected by this awful event, I cannot imagine it.

This awful incident happened very close to where I lived.
That morning I was working with the assailants sister.
At this time I lived next door to a community psychiatric nurse whose responsibility it was to inject this man with his medication to counteract his symptoms of schizophrenia.
That service was cut so that meant the patient was trusted to take tablets orally.

www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5454091.westcliff-appeal-for-boy-who-saw-mum-killed/

Oldfrill thanks for letting me know. I'd be interested in what the person who was attacked in the earlier incident did and why the police weren't able to track the attacker afterwards. More needs to come out about this. There's a multi agency approach for a reason and obviously failures in system to act appropriately and swiftly. Now the first court hearing has happened, the case needs to be listed at Crown Court as quickly as possible.

Note -it wasn't just the right wing red tops that did the "Devil Incarnate" bit - the Mirror did the same.

But as regards, the broadsheets - supposedly the well informed thoughtful right - the Telegraph had nothing to be proud of - their headline was modified but still headlined "the devil" etc.

Following the Nottingham stabbings a few years ago it seems very little has been done.

Whilst people are screaming about murderous immigrants our mental health services have been cut to the bone...

Crikey - have you seen his charge sheet?
It’s a mile long.
What a revolting violent individual he is.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15253423/Police-probe-Huntingdon-suspect-linked-stabbing-boy-14-city-centre-storming-barber-shop-knife-day-11-people-hurt-train.html

Kandinsky

Crikey - have you seen his charge sheet?
It’s a mile long.
What a revolting violent individual he is.

Have you read nothing upthread about MH stuff?

Its not an excuse - but its a reason

and you come galloping in about "revolting violent individual" at this stage of the thread.

Please just do posters the courtesy to read all said before?

Or are you one of these people that believe serious MH conditions dont exist

Have you seen in any of the mainstream media that it is reported he has mental health problems Wyllow3? I know there is a lot of speculation, but there is nothing confirmed that I can find?

Wyllow3

I can’t find anything in the news to suggest he has mental health issues.
And quite frankly, writing this disgusting individuals actions off as ‘mental health’ is an insult to the millions of people who suffer from mental health issues and remain peaceful members of society.

Kandinsky

Wyllow3

I can’t find anything in the news to suggest he has mental health issues.
And quite frankly, writing this disgusting individuals actions off as ‘mental health’ is an insult to the millions of people who suffer from mental health issues and remain peaceful members of society.

No it isn’t, if he has serious mental health problems that were known but not dealt with. We don’t know if that is the case or not yet as far as I can find out.

I don't think its unreasonable to describe an individual stalking innocent people with a massive knife with intent to kill as the devil. Surely our concern should be for the victims, the fact that these victims are so random they could be our loved ones, they're someone else's that's for sure. The pain and anguish for the parents of the 3 Southport girls and the Nottingham students will never go away.

It's not an insult. Its part of a huge range of MH issues and the danger is tarring with same brush. I have MH issues for example, and happy to report I am a peaceful member of society (tho personally I've never been psychotic, I know those who have and have taken their own lives

I know many others who do, and see this through far more complex spectacles than you do.

Its horrifying, scary: but it could have been prevented with earlier and proper care: instead of full in how disgusting blah blah look at

protect the public better prevention wise

and in order to do this

ask "why" .

Kandinsky, we don’t know if this man was experiencing a psychotic episode. That’s what it sounds like but I accept I’m speculating. We know nothing of his history, or whether he has a history of violence.

: writing the disgusting individuals actions off as mental health is an insult to the millions of people who suffer from mh issues and remain peaceful members of society
Kadinsky I’ve seen no attempts to write off this man’s murderous assaults. Surely we all understand that just as talking about physical health problems covers a spectrum of disease from flu to respiratory failure, reference to mental health problems covers a spectrum from a clinical depression to a psychotic episode.

(I am also a trained psychotherapist, and worked several years in Mental Health, including with people with psychotic illnesses: I do have good reasons to comment as I do)