Hero father who stepped in to protect passengers during Huntingdon train mass stabbing is left paralysed and unable to work

Published: 10:47, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 10:58, 29 July 2026 The hero father-of-four who stepped in to protect other passengers during the Huntingdon train mass stabbing has been left paralysed in his left arm.  Raza Aslam, 44, was one of eleven people treated in hospital following the mass stabbing on the 6.25pm Doncaster to London King's Cross LNER service on November 1 last year, which was diverted to Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.  The delivery driver from London told how he bravely stepped in front of other passengers in the path of the knifeman. In doing so, he suffered a knife injury to his arm which severed his radial nerve.  Since then, Mr Aslam has been unable to return to his job as a delivery driver because of the limited use of his left arm.  He also suffers from PTSD and nightmares and said he struggles to cope with daily life.  Anthony Williams, 33, from Langford Road in Peterborough, appeared in court this month to deny 10 counts of attempted murder - including one involving Raza - as well as 11 other offences. His trial is scheduled for October 26.  Mr Aslam said: 'Everyone was panicking - it was a horrible situation. The thought of women and children being attacked was unbearable to me.  'I decided I wasn't going to let that happen. I was prepared to die.'  Raza Aslam, 44, was left with a paralysed left arm after stepping in front of other passengers during the Huntingdon train mass stabbing on November 1 last year  The father-of-four has been unable to return to his previous job as a delivery driver due to the injuries he sustained  Anthony Williams, 33, appeared in court earlier this month to deny 21 charges including ten attempted murders The father had been on the train to Stevenage as part of his job delivering cars across the country.  On the day of the incident, Mr Aslam remembered seeing passengers racing down the carriage. He decided to jump in and shield vulnerable people.  He said: 'I felt the knife go into my arm - it went in deep.'  When the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, Mr Aslam was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.  A week later, he returned to the hospital for a three-hour surgery to reconnect his nerves. Mr Aslam was left partially paralysed in his left arm and hand after the attack.  Doctors said the nerve could take years to heal with ongoing treatment, but that he is unlikely to ever regain its full use.  He has also been diagnosed with PTSD and has nightmares and flashbacks. Mr Aslam also had to leave his job due to his injuries.  The father said: 'I haven't worked in eight months. The pressures of my life are getting really difficult.'  Doctors said the severed radial nerve could take years to heal with ongoing treatment, but that he is unlikely to ever regain its full use Raza Aslam pictured with his daughter Maryam. Maryam said: 'I want to see him get back on his feet, go back to providing for our family, and not have to carry the weight of this alone' Mr Aslam's daughter, Maryam, set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money to help her father rebuild his life.  He plans to use the money for private medical treatment, including EMDR therapy, which helps patients to reprocess traumatic memories to stop them from feeling so intense.  'My children can see that I'm struggling', he said. His daughter, Maryam, said: 'I want to see him get back on his feet, go back to providing for our family, and not have to carry the weight of this alone.'  He also hopes to use the money to support his children through higher education. You can donate to the GoFundMe here.  Maryam wrote: 'Since [the attack my father] has been dealing with severe PTSD, anxiety, and depression. He has nightmares and flashbacks, and he hasn't been able to work since the attack. It's been hard on our family financially, but he's been trying to get through it without asking for anything.  'A lot of people haven't heard his story because he's a recorded witness in the ongoing criminal case and has kept to himself while focusing on recovery.  Armed police were called to Huntingdon train station on the evening of November 1 last year following 999 calls from passengers Williams was told he would face trial at the court on October 26 'He was invited to meet the King for what he did that day, but because of the case and everything he was going through, he couldn't attend. He's never wanted recognition - he just did what he felt was right.  'He has four children, and I'm raising this because I want to see him get back on his feet.  'I want him to recover his independence, go back to providing for our family, and not have to carry the weight of all this alone. He's getting support from doctors, victim services, our local MP, family, and friends, and we're grateful for all of it.  'I'm asking on his behalf because I believe he deserves the chance to rebuild. Any donation would help with everyday living costs, his rehabilitation, medical expenses, and making sure my siblings have stability while he keeps recovering.'  Anthony Williams appeared in court on July 9 to plead not guilty to ten counts of attempted murder after several people were injured on an LNER train from Doncaster to London's King's Cross on the evening of November 1.  Williams also entered pleas of not guilty to 11 other offences involving separate incidents on the two days previous and the day after, including four more attempted murder counts.  The defendant, who is currently being held at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court by video-link.  Wearing a plain white T-shirt, he sat quietly in a small, grey room with his hands in his lap throughout the hearing, except to answer 'not guilty' as each charge was read out.  Williams was arrested at Huntingdon station by armed police who were alerted to reports about an incident on the 6.25pm LNER service from Doncaster. He was later charged with the attempted murder of nine other passengers and a train buffet worker.  Other charges from November 1 he denies include attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following an incident at Pontoon Dock DLR station in London in the early hours, where a victim suffered facial injuries. Williams pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man on a King's Cross to Peterborough train and possession of a bladed article on a train between Peterborough and Huntingdon on the same day.  The defendant entered not guilty pleas to the attempted murders of a 14-year-old boy, a 22-year-old man, and a 28-year-old man in Peterborough on October 31. Other alleged offences on that date in Peterborough are affray at a barbershop and two counts of possessing a bladed article in a public place - one at a footbridge near Henry Penn Walk, the Rail World car park, and Queen's Walk.  He also denies the theft of a pack of knives from an Asda store in Stevenage on October 31. The final count he denied was assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged attack on a male police officer while in custody on November 2. Judge Mark Bishop remanded Williams in custody until his trial, which is estimated to last between six and eight weeks. He told the defendant, who lives in Peterborough: 'You've pleaded not guilty and so there will be a trial which will take place on October 26.' A further case management hearing will take place on October 2.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.