A man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a lieutenant colonel who was stabbed repeatedly near a barracks in Kent.
Lt Col Mark Teeton is in a serious but stable condition after he was attacked while wearing his uniform on Tuesday evening.His wife was heard screaming for the attacker to leave him alone and then possibly saved his life by trying to pull her husband away, the Telegraph reports.
Her screams of “get off him” were captured on nearby doorbell cameras as her husband, believed to be in his 40s, lay blood-soaked on the ground.
The serviceman was airlifted to hospital following the attack.
A witness who lives near the Brompton Medical Centre, close to the scene, described the officer's wife asking for medical help following the attack.
She said she heard the woman say: "My husband has been stabbed - is there a first aider?"
Anthony Esan, 24, was charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court on August 22.
Prosecutor Rajni Prashar said: “A member of the public called 999 to report a male had been stabbed.
“It was then reported that the victim was a soldier in uniform.”
She told the court a man was seen “running up behind” the Army officer before he “pulled the soldier to the ground”, stabbed him “repeatedly” and drove away on a moped.
Kent Police said Esan was arrested near his home address in Mooring Road, Rochester, around 6.30pm on Tuesday.
Defence Secretary John Healey and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper both expressed their shock at the attack.
Sir Roly, who is chief of the General Staff, said in a post on X he was “saddened” by the attack.
“Our armed forces make extraordinary sacrifices to defend our nation and deserve to be respected.
“My thoughts and best wishes are with him and his family. They have the full support of the chain of command as they recover from this horrendous incident.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir opened his first Prime Minister’s Questions by telling MPs: “I know the whole House will be shocked by the news that a soldier has been attacked in Kent.
“Our thoughts are with him, his family and our armed forces who serve to keep us safe. We wish him a swift recovery.”
The road where police said the incident took place is near Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army's 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.
An Army spokesperson said: ”"Our thoughts remain with the officer subjected to this savage and unprovoked attack, his family and friends and with those who witnessed the horrific events unfolding.
“We’re extending all our support and best wishes to him as he fights the serious injuries he sustained in hospital, where his condition remains serious but stable.
“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.”
