A serving Army officer was viciously stabbed outside barracks while in uniform – and likened the attack to the infamous Lee Rigby killing. The chilling assault unfolded near Brompton Barracks, Chatham, leaving Lt Col Mark Teeton fighting for his life.
Harrowing Attack Outside Brompton Barracks
Anthony Esan, 25, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Lt Col Teeton on 23 July 2024, Maidstone Crown Court heard. Teeton was on his way back from the barracks, wearing full Army gear, when Esan approached him under the false pretence of borrowing his phone.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court, “It was obviously a lie to disarm Mr Teeton by distraction.” While Teeton was distracted, Esan launched the brutal knife assault, inflicting serious wounds to his neck, chest, abdomen, groin, arm, and thigh.
Witnesses described the scene as “harrowing” – one of the worst attacks they had ever seen. Teeton required emergency surgery but miraculously survived.
‘Rambo’ Knives and Chilling Motive
The court heard Esan had planned the attack. He was seen scouting the area by moped the day before, reportedly “looking for a target.” On the morning of the assault, Esan watched a documentary about US figure Kyle Rittenhouse, known for wielding knives and firearms in violent confrontations.
Officers later recovered packaging for two “Rambo” knives from Esan’s bedroom. He also admitted to possessing two-bladed weapons and had researched knife attacks, terrorist incidents, and the 2013 Woolwich soldier murder online – a clear nod to 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 read in his victim impact statement.
“Medical staff told me it was a miracle I survived.”
He added his trauma has left him wary of strangers approaching him.
At one point in hospital, Teeton asked his wife Eileen, “Do the people at work know what he tried to do to me?” When she asked what he meant, he replied, “It was like Lee Rigby.”
Mrs Teeton bravely intervened during the attack, pulling Esan away from her husband as he pressed a knife towards Teeton’s face and neck, describing it as if he was “trying to carve Mark’s face.”
Background and Next Steps
Esan, originally from Nigeria, moved to the UK in 2009 and had attempted multiple times to join the Army. Mental health concerns delayed proceedings, but he ultimately admitted guilt via video link from Broadmoor Hospital.
Brompton Barracks is home to the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, where Lt Col Teeton was chief instructor.
The sentencing hearing continues.
