UK Court Begins Sentencing of Nigerian Man for Stabbing Senior Army Officer

A British court on Monday commenced sentencing proceedings against Nigerian national Anthony Esan over the stabbing of a senior British Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton, in an attack described by prosecutors as calculated and violent.

The sentencing hearing is taking place at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent and is expected to run for three days. Esan is facing punishment for the attempted murder of Lt. Col. Teeton, an incident that occurred on July 23, 2024, in Sally Port Gardens near Brompton Barracks in Chatham.

During proceedings, the court was told that the officer was attacked while walking along a public street, with prosecutors characterising the assault as deliberate and sustained. The incident sparked a major security response due to its proximity to a key military installation.

Esan had earlier pleaded guilty on January 8, 2026, to one count of attempted murder and two separate charges relating to the possession of a knife. His guilty plea followed an extensive police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Addressing the case, a specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service said the defendant targeted a serving member of the British military without provocation, stressing that the victim posed no threat at the time of the incident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWK97-j5WyM

The prosecutor added that the strength of the evidence assembled by investigators left the defendant with little option but to admit responsibility, underscoring the seriousness with which attacks on military personnel are treated under UK law.

Lieutenant Colonel Teeton survived the attack, though details of his injuries were not revisited during the opening of the sentencing phase. The court is expected to hear further submissions, including victim impact statements, before a final sentence is handed down.