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A “true hero” who confronted a knife-wielding attacker on a train in England over the weekend has been identified as Nottingham Forest soccer fan Stephen Crean.
Crean intervened after suspected attacker Anthony William, 32, allegedly went on a stabbing rampage on an LNER train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening.
- Stephen Crean, a Nottingham Forest fan, bravely confronted a knife-wielding attacker on an LNER train in England, protecting passengers.
- The attacker, Anthony William, faces 10 attempted murder charges and additional bladed weapon offenses linked to two attacks.
- Crean sustained serious hand injuries and requires plastic surgery but was discharged from the hospital the day after the attack.
- Train driver Andrew Johnson diverted the LNER train to Huntingdon, allowing emergency services to rush 10 injured passengers to the hospital.
The train driver, Andrew Johnson, diverted to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, around 8 p.m. amid the incident, and 10 passengers were rushed to the hospital.
Stephen Crean (pictured below) confronted alleged attacker Anthony William
Image credits: Facebook
William has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of ABH (actual bodily harm), and one count of possession of a bladed article in connection with the incident.
He is also charged with another count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in connection with an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station on November 1.
Crean was among those to sustain injuries in the attack after he bravely fought off William in a bid to protect other passengers.
He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, but is likely to need plastic surgery for injuries to his hand.
Image credits: Facebook
Crean told the BBC that he saw passengers running down the train carriage and shouting that there was a man with a knife.
He wanted to try and keep those on board the train safe, so he confronted the attacker and “tussled” with him, recalling that the attacker asked him, “Do you want to die?”
“I saw him coming towards me—a guy with a rucksack and he’s obviously got something in there,” Crean said.
“Everyone’s gone towards the buffet carriage, and that is on the verge of being full up. There’s no one else getting in there. I wasn’t even going to bother pushing to get in. There’s young women and they need to get them in.
“I confronted this guy, because I’ve got to make sure that the door’s locked and I’ve looked around to save a bit of time. But then he started, he pulled this thing out. It was an over-large blade thing.
The train diverted to Huntingdon, and the passengers were rushed to the hospital
Image credits: David Tramontan/Getty Images
“He’s gone for me and there was a tussle in the arms with him and that’s where my hand, the fingers are really bad, four cuts through them, sliced. And then he raised it and must have caught me when I was ducking and diving and must have caught me on the head.”
Crean also told of how he was determined to block the door so that the attacker could not hurt any more passengers.
“That door still wasn’t shut behind me, because I could still see him struggling to close it. So until I knew it was closed I wasn’t moving away from it,” he said.
Crean has been widely praised as a hero by fellow passengers and members of the public grateful for his attempts to intervene.
However, despite his actions, he has described the real heroes as the police and medical staff who treated the injured.
Image credits: David Tramontan/Getty Images
“It’s lovely to hear. But I’d say there are other heroes like the police and the guys that got me off the train, and the ambulances and the hospital staff, they’re probably the real heroes,” Crean said.
“And the train guy that’s really badly injured. So, you know, it’s a big shout to call someone a hero, but it’s nice.”
A staff member who tried to stop the attack remains in the hospital in a critical condition, while five of those injured have been discharged.
Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe was among those injured in the attack after being slashed across the bicep. He did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Image credits: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Police say they are looking at other possible linked offenses, including the stabbing of a 14-year-old, and are supporting the victims.
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said, “The criminal investigation and support for the victims is a priority for British Transport Police.”
“Our investigation is also looking at other possible linked offenses. Following the charges authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service, I would stress the importance of not saying or publishing anything which might jeopardize or prejudice ongoing criminal proceedings, or the integrity of the investigation.”
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