This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/01/leytonstone-knife-attacker-angry-frenzied-court-told

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Leytonstone knife attacker seemed angry and frenzied, court told Leytonstone knife attacker seemed angry and frenzied, court told
(about 1 hour later)
A passenger whose throat was cut by a man wielding a kitchen knife at a London Underground station believed he was being attacked by “a crazy person”, a court has heard. A musician whose throat was cut by a man wielding a kitchen knife at a London Underground station believed he was being attacked by “a crazy person”, a court has heard.
Lyle Zimmerman was dragged to the ground and had his throat sawed at repeatedly by Muhiddin Mire during the unprovoked attack at Leytonstone station last December. He survived the assault but suffered three large lacerations to his neck that were so deep that his trachea was exposed. Lyle Zimmerman was dragged to the ground and had his throat sawed at repeatedly by Muhiddin Mire during the unprovoked attack at Leytonstone station last December. He survived the assault but suffered three large lacerations to his neck that were so deep his trachea was exposed.
Mire, 30, from Leytonstone, admits wounding Zimmerman with intent and attempting to wound four others, but denies attempted murder.Mire, 30, from Leytonstone, admits wounding Zimmerman with intent and attempting to wound four others, but denies attempted murder.
On the second day of the trial at the Old Bailey, Zimmerman, a musician, told the jury that he had been attacked and dragged to the floor from behind while leaving the station carrying a small amp and mandolin and with a guitar strapped to his back. On the second day of the trial at the Old Bailey, Zimmerman told the jury he had been attacked and dragged to the floor from behind while leaving the station en route to a gig nearby. He was carrying a small amp and mandolin and had a guitar strapped to his back.
He recalled receiving “very violent kicks” while on the floor, and said he believed he had lost consciousness for a time and could not recall his throat being cut. He recalled receiving “very violent kicks” while on the floor, he said, and curled up into the foetal position to protect himself, but believed he had lost consciousness for a time and could not recall his throat being cut.
Asked what was his impression of his assailant, he said: “At the time my subjective impression was that I was being attacked by a crazy person. A mentally ill person.”Asked what was his impression of his assailant, he said: “At the time my subjective impression was that I was being attacked by a crazy person. A mentally ill person.”
In vivid testimony read to the court, other witnesses described trying to intervene in the “relentless” assault to help the victim, but being threatened themselves. One witness, Catherine McEvoy, said Mire appeared “angry, aggressive and frenzied” in his assault. Matthew Smith, a junior doctor who was passing through the station on his way home from work, stopped to help the injured man while Mire continued to threaten other passengers around the ticket hall and station exit, the court heard.
Another witness, Louise McGuinness, said in her statement that when she shouted at Mire to stop he turned to her and said: “This is for telling me to stop,” and kicked Zimmerman harder. Smith told the jury his impression of the assailant was that he had mental health problems. “He was behaving quite erratically, moving from side to side – he was waving his weapon about [and] making grunting noises occasionally.”
After attempting to wound four passersby, Mire was finally detained at the scene by police officers using a taser.
The jury of eight women and four men has been told that Mire is currently detained at Broadmoor hospital and has a history of mental illness. Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, said that while he appeared to be suffering a relapse of his psychosis in the weeks before the attack, “it is not suggested in this case that the defendant was legally insane during the incident”, nor that he was incapable of forming the intent of attempted murder.
The court heard that after his arrest Mire was found to have downloaded a large number of images to his phone, including one of Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, speaking in the House of Commons during a debate on extending British bombing of Islamic State targets to include those in Syria. That motion, which Benn supported and which was carried, was debated three days before Mire’s assault on 5 December 2015.
Other images showed the murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby and Isis prisoners apparently about to be executed, lying in positions similar to the pose in which Mire placed Zimmerman before attacking his throat.
The defendant had also made extensive searches on his mobile phone for information relating to “Islam v west”, sharia law and, two days before the attack took place, “Islamic State/Isis”, the jury heard.
In testimony read to the court, other witnesses described trying to intervene in the “relentless” assault to help the victim and being threatened themselves. One witness, Catherine McEvoy, said Mire appeared “angry, aggressive and frenzied” in his assault.
Another witness, Louise McGuinness, said in her statement that when she shouted at Mire to stop he turned to her and said “This is for telling me to stop”, and kicked Zimmerman harder.
“I watched as he began literally to saw through [the victim’s] neck six or seven times,” she said. “I could literally hear the man’s skin just ripping open and blood began to flow.”“I watched as he began literally to saw through [the victim’s] neck six or seven times,” she said. “I could literally hear the man’s skin just ripping open and blood began to flow.”
When she repeated her call for him to stop, he pointed his knife at her and said: “You’re next,” and she ran from the station in fear for her life, the court heard. When she repeated her call for him to stop, he pointed his knife at her and said “You’re next”, and she ran from the station in fear for her life, the court heard.
The jury of eight women and four men has been told that Mire has a history of mental illness, but Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, said that while he appeared to have been having a relapse of his psychosis in the weeks before the attack, “it is not suggested in this case that the defendant was legally insane during the incident”, nor that he was incapable of forming the intent of attempted murder.
After attempting to wound four further passersby, Mire was finally detained at the scene by police officers using a Taser. The court was shown mobile phone footage taken by a Polish man, Daniel Bielinski, whom Mire tried to slash with his knife outside the tube station, and who then began filming him. In the footage, Bielinski can be heard shouting repeatedly to fellow members of the public to be careful and to call the police, as he backs away from Mire.
The jury heard that after his arrest, Mire was found to have downloaded a large number of images to his phone, including one of Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, speaking in the House of Commons during a debate on extending British bombing of Islamic State targets to include those in Syria. That motion, which Benn supported and which carried, was debated three days before Mire’s assault on 5 December 2015. He asks the accused “Why do you attack me and my girlfriend?” to which Mire responds: “If you are in Syria, they bomb you.”
Other images showed the murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, the Islamist fighter known as “Jihadi John”, and images showing Isis prisoners apparently about to be executed, lying in positions similar to the pose in which Mire placed Zimmerman before attacking his throat. Rees said the crown’s case was that Mire was motivated by “revenge” for events in Syria.
The defendant had also made extensive searches on his mobile phone for information relating to “Islam v West”, sharia law and, two days before the attack took place, “Islamic State/Isis”, the jury heard. The trial continues.
The court was shown dramatic mobile phone footage taken by a Polish man, Daniel Bielinski, whom Mire tried to slash with his knife outside the tube station, and who then began filming him. In the footage, Bielinski can be heard shouting repeatedly to fellow members of the public to be careful and to call the police, as he backs away from Mire.
He asks the accused: “Why do you attack me and my girlfriend?” to which Mire responds: “If you are in Syria, they bomb you.”
Rees said the crown’s case was that Mire was motivated by “revenge” for events in Syria. The case continues.