A passenger who came face to face with the man responsible for a horrific knife attack on a London-bound train has described the terrifying moment she begged for her life, only for the assailant to respond with chilling words: “The Devil is not going to win.”
Dayna Arnold, 48, a project manager, was travelling with her partner, Andy Gray, 37, a site manager, when panic erupted on the LNER Azuma service heading to London King’s Cross on Saturday morning.
Within minutes of departure from Peterborough Station, what had begun as a routine journey quickly turned into chaos when a man armed with a six-inch kitchen knife launched a frenzied attack on passengers. The rampage, which lasted around eight minutes, left two people fighting for their lives and several others injured.
Dayna and Andy were seated in Coach J, near the opposite end of the carriage from where the attacker began his assault. Speaking to reporters at Huntingdon Station the following day, Dayna said that she was still struggling to come to terms with the horrifying scenes she witnessed.
“We were just settling in for the journey when we heard shouting and screams from the other end of the carriage,” she said. “People started running and pushing past us, and then I saw the man with the knife. I was terrified.”
As passengers fled in panic, Dayna and Andy were separated in the crush. Dayna fell to the floor as people scrambled to escape, only to find the attacker standing over her with the weapon raised.
“I was running, and when I looked back, I saw the knifeman running after me,” she recalled. “I fell down and said, ‘Please don’t kill me.’ Something changed in his face, almost like a moment of hesitation, and then he just turned away and said, ‘The Devil is not going to win.’ I will never forget that moment.”
Andy, who had been only a few feet away, described how he rushed to help a young man who had been stabbed multiple times.
“I didn’t see the attacker clearly, but I saw the knife moving,” he said. “I pushed Dayna out of the way, but we got separated. Then I saw this young lad, maybe 19 or 20, bleeding heavily. He had deep gashes on his arm and a serious wound under his armpit. He said, ‘I’ve been stabbed, please help me.’ There was so much blood. I took off my belt and made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He kept saying, ‘Please call my dad. I don’t want to die.’”
Andy still had blood on his jumper the next day, the same one he used to save the young victim. “I heard there were two people in critical condition,” he said quietly. “I really hope we saved his life.”
The couple said the ordeal felt like a nightmare. After reaching Huntingdon Station, they were offered shelter by a local pub owner who gave them a free room for the night. They returned to the station the next morning to continue their journey to Milton Keynes, visibly shaken but grateful to be alive.
“We just feel so lucky,” Dayna said. “If we had been sitting at the other end of the carriage, we might not be here today.”
Witnesses on the train described scenes of sheer panic, with passengers screaming, hiding under seats, and desperately trying to reach other carriages. Some barricaded themselves behind doors as others called the police.
Emergency services rushed to Huntingdon Station after the alarm was raised. Armed officers boarded the train and apprehended the suspect without further incident. The man, believed to be in his twenties, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody as investigations continue.
British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed that two victims were taken to hospital in critical condition. Several others sustained injuries while trying to escape the carriage. “This was a terrifying and violent incident,” a BTP spokesperson said. “We are grateful to passengers who assisted others and to those who provided first aid before officers arrived.”
Train operator LNER also issued a statement expressing shock and extending support to all affected passengers and staff. “We are deeply saddened by the events on board our service. Our thoughts are with those injured and everyone who witnessed the distressing scenes. We are working closely with British Transport Police during the investigation.”
The incident has sparked renewed discussion about public safety on trains and the need for improved security screening at major stations. Passenger groups have called for increased police presence on intercity services and better mental health intervention strategies to prevent similar tragedies.
For Dayna and Andy, the experience has left lasting emotional scars. “We will never forget it,” Dayna said. “You see things like this on the news, but you never expect to be in the middle of it. I just keep hearing his voice in my head saying, ‘The Devil is not going to win.’ I don’t know what made him stop, but I thank God that he did.”
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