Anthony Esan's arrest footage was shown in court as he appeared for sentencing over his attempt to murder a uniformed Army officer in broad daylight. The 25-year-old from Rochester faces sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court for the attack on Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton in Chatham, Kent, on July 23, 2024.
Expert testimony on the second day of proceedings revealed Esan deliberately targeted the uniformed Army officer due to schizophrenia and requires lifelong secure psychiatric treatment.
The attack unfolded at 5.53pm in Sally Port Gardens, near Brompton Barracks. Witnesses reported Esan's moped registration number, enabling police to track and arrest him within 24 minutes.
Arrest footage showed Esan kneeling beside his moped with his hands on his head as two officers pointed tasers at him before handcuffing him. He muttered cryptic phrases including "day of the devil", "Enoch", "365 in a year", and "karma".
Deliberate targeting confirmed
Professor Nigel Blackwood, an expert witness in forensic psychiatry, rejected Esan's claims that his victim could have been anyone. He told prosecutor Alison Morgan KC: "I think he tries to minimise choosing an Army officer in what he has said. "He has deliberately chosen an Army officer to enact his psychosis, I don't believe him when he tells me it could have been anyone."
The expert testified that Esan remains psychotic and will need lifelong treatment that "should be within secure psychiatric settings".
Online searches revealed planning
Esan's internet history in the lead-up to the attack showed searches for "Woolwich soldier murdered" - believed to reference the 2013 murder of soldier Lee Rigby. He also searched for knives, watched TikTok videos of knife attacks, and looked up terms including "day of the devil" and "Enoch".
Esan pleaded guilty in January to attempted murder and possession of two bladed weapons. Courts had scheduled him to stand trial this month before he entered his guilty plea. The sentencing continues over three days.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
