A man has been charged with the attempted murder of a uniformed soldier who was repeatedly stabbed near his barracks.
The soldier was said to have been knifed up to a dozen times by a masked attacker near Brompton Barracks in Gillingham, Kent, on Tuesday evening.
Anthony Esan, 24, will appear in court on Thursday over the stabbing.
Esan was arrested near his home in nearby Rochester about 35 minutes after the knife attack.
The serviceman, reportedly a Lieutenant-Colonel in his 40s, is in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Kent Police said: ‘Detectives investigating the serious assault of a soldier in Gillingham have charged a man with attempted murder.
‘Kent Police was called to Sally Port Gardens at around 5.55pm on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, to a report that the victim, a man in his 40s, had suffered injuries consistent with stab wounds.
‘He was taken to a hospital for treatment and his condition is currently described as serious but stable.
‘Anthony Esan, 24, was arrested near his home address in Mooring Road, Rochester, at approximately 6.30pm the same day and has now been charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
‘He is due to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 25.’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was ‘shocked and appalled’ by the attack.
Army chief General Sir Roly Walker said: ‘Our armed forces make extraordinary sacrifices and deserve to be respected.’
Sally Port Gardens where police said the incident took place is near Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.
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