A man has been remanded in custody following charges of attempted murder against a uniformed army officer who was stabbed near a barracks in Kent.
Anthony Esan, 24, appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after being charged earlier that day.
The court determined that Mr. Esan should remain in custody both for his own welfare and due to the severity of the alleged offenses.
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The victim, Lt Col Mark Teeton, in his 40s, was attacked around 1800 BST on Tuesday in Sally Port Gardens, close to Brompton Barracks. He is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Mr. Esan also faces charges of possessing an offensive weapon. Police reported that he was apprehended approximately 30 minutes after the incident near his residence on Mooring Road, Rochester. When asked to confirm his date of birth and address in court, Mr. Esan questioned, “Why?”
Prosecutor Rajni Prashar stated that a man was seen “running up behind” Lt Col Teeton before pulling him to the ground and stabbing him multiple times. Mr. Esan was arrested while riding a moped shortly after the attack. A search of the moped revealed several knives in its storage compartment.
Mr. Esan is scheduled to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on 22 August. A defence source confirmed the identity of the soldier as Lt Col Teeton, who oversees an engineering course for the Royal Engineers. The nearby barracks is home to the 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his concern, saying, “Our thoughts are with [the soldier], his family, and our armed forces, who serve to keep us safe. We wish him a swift recovery.”
