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A British army soldier was repeatedly stabbed in an attack outside his home, as a woman thought to be his wife watched on in distress.
The uniformed serviceman, aged in his 40s, was reportedly attacked by a man on a motorycle carrying kitchen knives on a residential street.
The victim was airlifted to hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition after the stabbing in Sally Port Gardens in Gillingham, Kent – not far from Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.
A 24-year-old local man was arrested in Mooring Road, Rochester, around 35 minutes after Tuesday night’s attack, on suspicion of attempted murder. On Wednesday night, officers were granted a 24-hour extension to question him.
Dramatic doorstep footage from neighbours recorded the blood-curdling screams of a woman, thought to be soldier’s wife. She is heard hysterically shouting: “What are you doing?”
Witness Alex Reynolds, 38, told of his horror at the chaos unfolding a few hundred yards away.
“The man was lying there and not moving,” he told The Independent. “We presumed he was dead, but I think he was told to just not move.”
Mr Reynolds’ wife Natasha, 30, added: “I hope he is going to have a good recovery because it’s really dreadful what happened.”
Another witness, who rushed to the victim’s aid, told The Sun the soldier was stabbed repeatedly. The victim had “wounds all over his body”, the witness said, adding: “Blood was everywhere as I tried to apply pressure to his wounds until the police arrived.”
Kent Police said the motivation for the attack is unclear but it is not believed to be terror-related.
A number of knives were seized at the scene.
The army’s Chief of General Staff, General Sir Roly Walker, condemned the attack on the officer, saying he was “deeply saddened”.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “shocked and appalled”, adding: “All our thoughts are with the soldier, his family and our Armed Forces community, who serve to keep all of us safe. I wish him a swift recovery.”
Another witness, who lives near the Brompton Medical Centre close to the scene, described the officer’s wife asking for medical help.
She said she heard the woman say: “My husband has been stabbed – is there a first aider?”
A number of bystanders rushed to the victim’s aid until emergency services arrived.
A couple helped apply pressure to multiple wounds on the victim’s body after their two sons, who had been playing on the street nearby, alerted them to the stabbing.
Another local, who asked not to be named, told The Independent one of those who helped had taken the day off work to recover from “the most traumatic thing she ever witnessed”.
Police were seen searching a semi-detached house near where the suspect was arrested in Mooring Road.
Witnesses there described seeing the handcuffed man being led away by police, while officers remained outside a property throughout Wednesday, with sniffer dogs also brought to the scene.
An army spokesman said: “We will continue to work closely with Kent Police to understand what happened and support the investigation. Anyone who witnessed the attack or who has any relevant information should contact Kent Police.”
It is understood that security was tightened at the base in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but has since returned to normal levels.
Acting Chief Superintendent Richard Woolley of Kent Police said: “We are keeping an open mind as to the motivation behind this incident and we are exploring a number of lines of inquiry.
“The investigation has been supported throughout by Counter Terrorism Policing South East as we work to establish the full circumstances. Kent Police officers will continue to be on patrol in the area to offer reassurance to members of the public and are more than happy to speak with anyone who is upset or concerned about what has happened.
“It remains the case that we do not currently believe anyone else was involved and there is no further information at this time to suggest any wider threats to the local community, including members of the armed forces.”
