A black man, identified as Anthony Esan, 24, from Kent, United Kingdom has been arraigned for ambushing and stabbing a senior Army officer repeatedly with a large knife before fleeing.
Lt Col Mark Teeton was outside his home near Brompton Barracks in Gillingham, home to the Royal School of Military Engineering, on Tuesday at 5:55pm when Esan approached him from the back, pulled him down and started stabbing him.
The military man, a father of two children, was rushed to the hospital for urgent treatment for his near life-threatening injuries.
His condition at the hospital has been described as serious but stable.
Esan who fled the scene of the crime was arrested close to his home in Rochester, about 35 minutes after the attack.
The Medway magistrates’ court where he was arraigned was told how Mr Esan had brought five kitchen knives, including one described as a “machete” by a witness, during the assault.
During his arraignment, Esan remained belligerent. When he was asked to sit down, he asked “Why?’ and refused to sit down.
His counsel, Robert Weston, told the court psychiatric reports were being prepared to assess Esan’s fitness to plead.
Judge Leake remanded Esan in prison.
He said: “I am sending your case to the Crown Court for a hearing on August 22nd, I am going to remand you until that date so please go with the police officers for now.”
