Army Officer Stabbed in Brutal Barracks Attack – Compared to Lee Rigby Killing
Harrowing Assault Outside Brompton Barracks
A serving Army officer was viciously stabbed while in uniform outside Brompton Barracks, Chatham. Lt Col Mark Teeton was left fighting for his life in a terrifying knife attack likened by him to the infamous Lee Rigby murder.
On 23 July 2024, Anthony Esan, 25, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Lt Col Teeton at Maidstone Crown Court. The officer was returning to the barracks in full Army gear when Esan approached under the false pretence of borrowing his phone.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said, “It was obviously a lie to disarm Mr Teeton by distraction.” While Teeton was distracted, Esan launched a savage knife assault, stabbing him repeatedly in the neck, chest, abdomen, groin, arm, and thigh.
‘Rambo’ Knives and Chilling Premeditation
Court heard Esan had planned the attack days earlier. He was spotted scouting the area on a moped the day before, “looking for a target.” On the morning of the attack, Esan had watched a documentary about Kyle Rittenhouse, known for violent knife and gun confrontations.
Police recovered packaging for two “Rambo” knives from Esan’s bedroom. He admitted possessing two bladed weapons and had extensively researched knife attacks, terrorist incidents, and the 2013 Woolwich soldier murder online – unmistakably referencing the Lee Rigby killing.
Victim Speaks Out: ‘It Was Like Lee Rigby’
“I did not imagine for a moment I would be attacked in such a way on the streets of Britain,” Teeton said in a harrowing victim impact statement.
“Medical staff told me it was a miracle I survived.”
Teeton revealed how the trauma has left him wary of strangers. While in hospital, he asked his wife Eileen, “Do the people at work know what he tried to do to me?” When she pressed for details, he replied, “It was like Lee Rigby.”
Mrs Teeton bravely intervened during the attack, pulling Esan away as he pressed a knife close to her husband’s face and neck. She described it as if Esan was “trying to carve Mark’s face.”
Background and Legal Proceedings
Originally from Nigeria, Esan moved to the UK in 2009. He had made several attempts to join the Army. Mental health concerns delayed court proceedings, but he pleaded guilty via video link from Broadmoor Hospital.
Brompton Barracks houses the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, where Lt Col Teeton served as chief instructor. The sentencing hearing is ongoing.
