Lt Col Mark Teeton recalled the moment his life was put in danger when Anthony Esan dropped his deceptive facade and unleashed a violent attack, saying, "I knew I was in trouble."

On 23 July 2024, at approximately 18:00 BST, Teeton's routine walk home from Brompton Barracks was disrupted when Esan approached him, requesting to borrow his mobile phone to seek help for his broken-down moped.

Within three minutes, Teeton had suffered a brutal stabbing, which was briefly interrupted when his wife intervened, pushing Esan away as he lunged at her husband.

In an interview with the BBC, Teeton reflected on his ordeal, stating, "I was fortunate to have survived."

Esan, aged 25, received a life sentence with a minimum term of seven years and 162 days at Maidstone Crown Court.

During the sentencing, Mr Justice Picken described the attack as having an "unimaginable horror."

The judge also ruled that Esan would be detained in a hospital for as long as necessary.

Prior to the attack, Esan had conducted online searches for knives, a terrorist attack in West Africa, and TikTok videos depicting knife attacks in other countries.

The court heard that Esan had also searched for information on the 2013 murder of Lee Rigby, referred to as the "Woolwich soldier murdered."

Forensic psychiatrists testified that Esan's actions were more likely driven by psychosis, but that he had intentionally targeted a soldier.

Mr Justice Picken stated, "The attack on Mr Teeton was targeted and deliberate."

Addressing Esan, the judge said, "You intentionally sought out a soldier with the intention of causing fatal harm, as evident from your online search of the Lee Rigby killing."

Eileen Teeton, Mark's wife, recounted how she rushed from their home and confronted the assailant, but Esan's gaze followed her.

She described how Esan then turned his attention back to her husband, at which point she realized the victim was her husband.

After Esan ceased his attack and fled on his moped, Eileen's priority was to get her husband medical attention as quickly as possible.

As Teeton drifted in and out of consciousness, guards from the nearby barracks, local residents, police, and paramedics arrived at the scene.

Teeton was rushed to Kings College Hospital in London, where he underwent emergency surgery, while his wife followed, unsure if he would survive.

Following the sentencing, Teeton stated that Esan's life imprisonment reflected the premeditation and planning that went into the attack against him, a British military officer.

He added, "Knife attacks have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the victim but also their families and the communities where they occur."

Teeton expressed his empathy, saying, "We feel the pain of every knife attack we see in the news, and our thoughts are always with those affected."

Prior to the attack, Teeton, a 26-year veteran of the military, had completed four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He credited the swift response of paramedics, who arrived by air ambulance, with helping to save his life.

Teeton also acknowledged the role of locals who provided first aid, saying, "The immediate care they provided, along with the basic first aid principles they applied, absolutely saved me."

After a three-week hospital stay, Teeton returned home to find that the military had relocated his family to a more private area.

He then spent five weeks at a rehabilitation centre for injured military personnel near Loughborough before returning to work full-time in January 2025.

In January, Esan pleaded guilty to attempted murder, following several delays in the case due to concerns about his mental health.

Esan had previously attempted to join the British Army on multiple occasions, with his first application submitted in 2020.

In the same year, he was referred to mental health services due to apparent mental health issues and reports of hearing voices.

Esan's mother believed that, given his mental state, he should not have been in the community, according to testimony presented in court.

Eileen Teeton, who sings in a military wives choir, expressed relief that Esan had pleaded guilty, sparing them the ordeal of a trial.

She stated, "We felt a massive sense of relief that he had taken responsibility for his actions and pleaded guilty, sparing us and the jurors from reliving the horrific ordeal."

A recent ruling by a High Court judge has upheld the Equality and Human Rights Commission's stance on guidance regarding toilet and changing room access for transgender individuals in public and workplace settings.

In April of the previous year, the EHRC released interim guidance, which was subsequently withdrawn six months later, stating that single-sex facilities should be restricted to individuals of the same biological sex.

According to the guidance, a transgender woman, who is biologically male but identifies as female, would be expected to utilize a gender-neutral or male facility, rather than female-designated toilets and changing rooms.

Critics argued that the EHRC's guidance for employers, including establishments like hospitals, shops, and restaurants, was flawed and oversimplified.

During the November hearing, the EHRC maintained that its temporary guidance did not infringe upon the human rights of transgender individuals.

Mr Justice Swift denied the Good Law Project's application for a judicial review, but requested further submissions from all parties to determine whether an appeal would be permitted.

The EHRC's withdrawn guidance was issued in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, which clarified that the terms "woman" and "sex" under the 2010 Equality Act refer to biological sex and women.

The EHRC is currently developing a comprehensive code of practice, which is under review by the government.

The family of Chloe Mitchell, a 21-year-old woman from Ballymena, is facing further uncertainty as they await the outcome of a trial for her alleged murderer, which may be impacted by an ongoing barristers' strike.

Chloe Mitchell's life was cut short in June 2023, when she was killed in an incident that has left her family and community in shock.

Brandon John Rainey, the man accused of her murder, is scheduled to stand trial on February 23, but the proceedings may be delayed due to the industrial action by defence barristers.

Following a recent court hearing to review trial arrangements, Nadine Mitchell, Chloe's sister, expressed her family's distress and frustration, telling BBC News NI that they are struggling to cope with the uncertainty.

Nadine Mitchell stated that her family has been left with no choice but to wait once again for a resolution, having already endured a prolonged period of anxiety and uncertainty.

The family's emotional turmoil is evident, with Nadine describing the experience as a prolonged period of distress, marked by sleepless nights and unbearable tension.

The Mitchell family is struggling to come to terms with their situation, which has left them feeling overwhelmed and distraught.

The current strike by defence barristers in Northern Ireland, which began last month, is a result of a long-standing dispute over legal aid fees, with barristers arguing that their fees have not kept pace with inflation.

The strike has brought almost all criminal trials in Northern Ireland to a standstill, with the exception of cases where the defendant does not require legal aid.

The Mitchell family has appealed for their case to be treated as an exception, allowing the trial to proceed as scheduled.

Chloe Mitchell, who was 21 at the time of her disappearance, was reported missing in early June 2023, prompting an extensive search operation.

Her remains were discovered about a week later, following a series of searches in the Ballymena area.

Brandon John Rainey was subsequently arrested and charged with Chloe's murder, which is alleged to have taken place between June 2 and June 5, 2023.

Rainey also faces a charge of attempting to prevent the lawful burial of a deceased body.

The dispute between barristers and the Department of Justice centres on the level of legal aid fees, which barristers claim have not increased since 2005.

Barristers argue that the fees have not kept pace with inflation, resulting in a significant decrease in their real-terms value over the past 20 years.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned that the low fees have created a crisis in the justice system, with many younger barristers refusing to take on legal aid cases due to the low rates of pay.

The CBA has described the strike as a "last resort" in their dispute with the Department of Justice, which has been ongoing for some time.

Despite an announced 16% increase in fees, which is set to take effect in mid-January, the strike has continued, with barristers arguing that the increase does not go far enough to address their concerns.

Chloe's father, George Mitchell, has previously appealed for an exception to be made in their case, allowing the trial to proceed despite the strike.

George Mitchell has argued that any delay to the trial would cause further trauma and distress for the families of victims.

He had invited Justice Minister Naomi Long to meet with him and his wife, Georgina, to discuss the matter further.

However, Minister Long has stated that it is not feasible to allow individual cases to proceed while the dispute over legal aid fees remains unresolved, citing ethical and practical concerns.

The minister has reiterated that the decision to grant exceptions lies with the CBA, which must weigh the competing demands of their members and the needs of the justice system.