A man facing charges related to knife attacks on two trains, one of which was headed to London, declined to appear in court today.

Thirty-two-year-old Anthony Williams stands accused of attempting to murder 13 individuals in connection with these violent incidents.

Following an emergency stop of an LNER train in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on November 1, Williams was taken into custody.

The Peterborough resident was originally accused of attempting to kill nine passengers and a rail employee aboard the LNER train traveling from Doncaster to London’s Kings Cross.

Additionally, Williams is charged with the attempted murder of a passenger on a DLR train at Pontoon Dock DLR station in Silvertown, east London, at 12:45 a.m. that same day.

Williams, who is on remand in prison, was meant to appear via video link at Cambridge Crown Court for an administrative hearing this morning.

But prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC told Judge Mark Bishop, the Recorder of Cambridge, that Williams would not be appearing.

Mr Paxton said: ‘Your honour will note, the defendant is not on the link, and I understand that he has refused to attend the link room.”

Anthony Williams is accused of 13 counts of attempted murder in incidents aboard two trains

Judge Bishop replied: ‘That is what I have been informed. I have asked for a refusal notice to be uploaded.’

The 13-minute hearing proceeded in the absence of Williams and a date for his potential trial at Cambridge Crown Court was fixed to start on June 22 next year.

Williams was arrested after a mass stabbing attack on a train before it stopped at Huntingdon station, Cambridgeshire, on the evening of November 1.

Williams was also charged before his first appearance at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court with possessing a bladed article in relation to the two attacks, and a count of actual bodily harm over an alleged assault on a police officer in custody.

It was revealed on November 20 that he had also been charged with two more counts of attempted murder and an attempted wounding with intent to cause serious harm.

The new attempted murder charges relates to alleged attacks on a 14-year-old boy on a footbridge above Henry Penn Walk, Peterborough, and on William Ogelby, 22, in the Rail World car park, Peterborough, on October 31.

The new attempted wounding charge related to an alleged attack on Dawid Taborski, 28, on the footbridge above Henry Penn Walk.

Williams was also charged with affray at Ritzy’s Barbers in Queens Walk, Peterborough, on October 31, and the theft of a ‘four-pack of kitchen knives to the value of £15’ from an Asda store in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on October 31.

Police forensic officers board the LNER train at Huntingdon after the alleged mass-stabbing

In total, he faces 21 separate charges. 

Prosecutor Mr Paxton today asked for all the new charges to be added to the original ones to form a single indictment.

Graham Arnold, defending Williams, said he had no objection to the two sets of charges being joined.

Mr Arnold asked for the case to be adjourned to allow a psychiatric assessment of Williams to take place.

He stated that a doctor had an appointment with Williams today and had asked for eight weeks to complete his report by January 26 which would allow for the Christmas break and ‘preliminary treatments which may affect his assessment’.

Mr Arnold added that a brief psychiatric report into Williams had already taken place and it was hoped that any treatment he was given might “improve” his condition.

He added: ‘We have no objection to proceed with the administration of the case today’.

Judge Bishop adjourned the hearing for the case to come back to court on January 28 without Williams needing to appear to allow an updated on his psychiatric state.

The judge said he was going ahead to fix the potential trial date for June 22 next year ‘just to get it into the diary’.