Man searched TikTok for 'Lee Rigby knife attack' videos before 'vicious and deliberate' stabbing of uniformed army officer
Anthony Esan, who was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK in 2009, had made several unsuccessful attempts to join the British Army in the years before his attack.
An unprovoked knife attack on a uniformed Army officer outside his home has been described in court as “vicious and deliberate”.
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Anthony Esan, 25, is set to be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court for the attempted murder of Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton in Sally Port Gardens, near Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on July 23 2024.
He was due to stand trial for the attack and possession of two bladed weapons this month, but pleaded guilty to the crimes in January.
The prosecution’s case was that Lt Col Teeton was targeted because of his appearance as a solider, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court at the beginning of the sentencing.
Leading up to the attack, Esan had began online searches including for knives and about a terrorist attack that happened in West Africa, and TikTok videos of knife attacks in other countries.
On July 16, he also searched “Woolwich soldier murdered” on the internet, which Ms Morgan said was plainly a reference to the attack on Lee Rigby in 2013.
Read more: Man, 62, admits fatally stabbing sister at home in South London
Ms Morgan said that Esan had an “interest” in knives, with packaging for two “Rambo” knives later recovered from his bedroom.
Lt Col Teeton, who was stabbed repeatedly in the street outside his home, was dressed in an Army uniform, boots and beret at the time.
Esan used two knives to inflict multiple stab wounds on Lt Col Teeton.
Ms Morgan said it was “nothing short of miraculous” they were not fatal given their number, locations and the force with which they were inflicted.
When Lt Col Teeton tried to move away from Esan, he stabbed him again, the prosecutor said.
She said: “Witnesses who saw it, described it as harrowing and one of the worst things they’ve ever seen.”
Esan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK in 2009 and lived in the Southwark area of London, the court heard.
He had made several unsuccessful attempts to join the British Army in the years before his attack.
Ms Morgan said that Esan made his first application to join the Army in 2020 but that this was rejected on May 27 of that year because of eczema and a nut allergy.
That same year, he had been referred to mental health services as he appeared to be mentally unwell and reported hearing voices.
Esan applied to the Army again on April 13 2021 but was rejected, with the medical reasons for rejection being “psychotic disorder” and eczema, Ms Morgan said.
He appealed against this decision but his appeal was rejected, and he began another application in June 2021, which was “abandoned”.
In March 2023, Esan began a further application to the Army, but he did not complete the process and withdrew his application for “health reasons”, the court heard.
Lt Col Teeton and his wife Eileen Teeton were in court and were due to read victim impact statements.
The sentencing continues.