Stabbing of soldier was 'vicious and deliberate'

A man repeatedly stabbed a uniformed Army soldier outside a barracks in a "vicious and deliberate" attack, a court heard.

Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, told Maidstone Crown Court at the start of a three-day sentencing hearing that Esan had an "interest" in knives.

Witnesses described the attack as "harrowing" and one of the worst things they had ever seen, the court heard.

Teeton suffered serious injuries in the attack and had emergency surgery in hospital, before being discharged.

Morgan said: "The fact that these wounds were not fatal was nothing short of miraculous."

The chief instructor at the British Army's school of military engineering was dressed in an Army uniform, with boots and beret, at the time.

The prosecution's case is that he was targeted because of his appearance as a soldier.

The court heard how Teeton was was walking back from his barracks at 17:50 BST when Esan asked him if he could use his phone because his moped had broken down.

Morgan said it was "obviously a lie", adding: "It's a lie which gives him the ability to disarm, to disarm by distraction, Mr Teeton."

She said Teeton had been concerned Esan would steal his phone, but while he was distracted, the attack began.

The court heard Teeton's wife, Eileen, heard shouts for help and came out of their home, when Teeton was on the ground after suffering a serious wound to his neck.

Morgan said at that point Eileen realised it was her husband.

She said Eileen pulled Esan away, describing her actions as "remarkable".

Mrs Teeton's description of the attack, read out in court, said Esan was "pushing his knife towards Mark's face and neck".

It continued: "I would describe it as if he was trying to carve Mark's face."

The day before the attack, Esan scoped out the area on his moped "looking for a target", the court heard.

On the morning of the attack, Esan watched a documentary about Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of two killings and wounding a man in the US, the court heard.

Morgan said Esan "lied" to his mother about going to look for a job when he left home.

Footage of the attack was shown to the court.

Morgan said that packaging for two "Rambo" knives were recovered from his bedroom after the attack.

The court heard how, before the attack, Esan carried out online searches for knives, and about a terrorist attack that happened in West Africa, as well as TikTok videos of knife attacks in other countries.

Morgan said Esan on 16 July had searched for information on "Woolwich soldier murdered", which she said was a reference to the attack on Lee Rigby.

Esan had made unsuccessful attempts to join the Army in the years before the stabbing, the court was told.

He first applied in 2020 but was rejected because of eczema and a nut allergy, and that same year had appeared to be mentally unwell and reported hearing voices, the court heard.

Esan applied again in 2021, but was rejected because of a "psychotic disorder" and eczema, Morgan said.

A further appeal was abandoned and another appeal was withdrawn, the court heard.

Reading out a victim-impact statement to the court, Teeton said: "I did not imagine for a moment I would be attacked in such a way on the streets of Britain."

He said medical staff told him it was a "miracle" he had survived.

The soldier told how he still relived the incident in his mind, adding: "I actually think it was a blessing that I was unconscious for much of it."

He became emotional as he paid tribute to the "heroes", including his wife, who came to his aid and said he would be "forever in gratitude".

Morgan told the court that Esan was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK in 2009, living in the Southwark area of London.

Brompton Barracks is the headquarters of the British Army's 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.

The case had been delayed several times amid concerns over Esan's mental health and fitness to plead, but he admitted the charge last month via video link from Broadmoor Hospital.