A man accused of stabbing 10 people on a London-bound train asked a passenger "do you want to die?" before the attack, a court has heard.
Jurors at Cambridge Crown Court were shown CCTV footage of passenger Stephen Crean trying to wrestle a knife from Anthony Williams on an LNER train on November 1 last year.
Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC told the court that Williams "brought terror" to the Doncaster to London service, stabbing 10 people during a "rampage".
Prosecution Opens Case
Mr Paxton said: "Mr Crean will tell you that the defendant told him, and I quote, `Do you want to die?'"
He added: "We say, clear evidence of the defendant's intention to kill, as was the use of the knife to stab so many, and use to stab and cut Mr Crean in his hand, head and lower back."
Williams had also stabbed four people in the 24 hours before the train attack, and admits having intended to harm them, but denies 14 counts of attempted murder.
Halloween Weekend Attacks
Opening the prosecution case on Wednesday, Mr Paxton told jurors that Williams posed "a dangerous threat" to those he encountered on Friday October 31 and the following day.
He said: "Across the Halloween weekend last year, to the many people he encountered, the defendant Anthony Williams posed a dangerous threat, marauding through towns and cities, on streets and trains alike, armed with a knife."
"He stabbed many, seeking to end their lives with deadly intention, striking out at them when they were defenceless and in fear."
He attacked three people in Peterborough on the evening of October 31, stabbing a 14-year-old boy when he walked past him on a footbridge near Henry Penn Walk, Peterborough, before lunging with his knife at Dawid Taborski, the court heard.
Williams asked them "are you involved?" before producing a large or zombie knife, jurors were told, and then attempted to stab William Ogelby four times in the chest in the Rail World car park.
All three victims fled in fear, Mr Paxton told the court, because "they knew that their lives were at peril".
Train Attack Details
Williams was then seen swigging from a bottle of alcohol outside Ritzy Barber Shop in Queen's Walk in Peterborough, before going into the shop brandishing a knife.
He took a taxi to Peterborough station and got on a London-bound train, where passenger Kierah Lee Oakman heard him talking to himself while rummaging through his backpack, shouting random words such as `boom' and `power'.
"Ms Oakman thought his behaviour was erratic and intoxicated and noticed the defendant repeatedly said things like `I haven't got it' and she heard him mention the word `devil'," Mr Paxton said.
In the early hours of the following day Williams approached a 17-year-old boy, Isaiah Idris, on the Docklands Light Railway at Pontoon Dock in London, and knifed him in the face and hand, the court was told.
He asked him if he was "beefing with the devil" before slicing him with a knife, jurors heard. Later on the Saturday evening, Williams stabbed 10 people on the train in a five-minute attack, with jurors shown CCTV footage of passengers fleeing.
Describing events on the train, Mr Paxton told the jury: "The defendant brought terror which resulted in them fleeing and some fighting for their lives."
"In the face of that threat and the defendant's sheer brutality some stood tall to protect others trying to de-escalate his rampage, defending themselves and putting themselves in harm's way to protect strangers."
Some fled "in sheer terror", locking themselves in toilets, while others tried to de-escalate the attack, the court heard.
One of the victims, 73-year-old David Presland, was attacked after he fell to the ground, and other passengers fled, but eventually "ran out of train" in their bid to escape.
"In sheer terror, the train passengers ran for their lives, hiding away in locked toilets, store cabinets, or under seats until many fleeing the defendant literally ran out of train; they could go no further; they were trapped on the moving train," Mr Paxton said.
Some showed "extraordinary bravery" in trying to fend Williams off, grabbing frying pans or toasters to protect themselves, and trying to speak to the attacker to stop him, he said.
Scott Green, who had his dog Poppy with him, tried to grab the knife from Williams, who continued to stab him as he sat in his seat, while Kevin Deely was also attacked on the train and received stab wounds to his scalp and midriff, penetrating his stomach by more than 9cm, the court heard.
A member of the train crew, Samir Zitouni, tried to use a frying pan to stop Williams, but was stabbed multiple times, the court was told.
Mr Paxton said: "The defendant, Mr Williams, armed with a knife, caused terror and fear on an unimaginable scale, moving up and down a busy train, from which there was no escape, stabbing several people as he did so."
