Tube Knife Attack Video Shown In Court

Two passengers have been praised in court for intervening in a crazed attack by an alleged terrorist at a Tube station in east London last December.

Muhiddin Mire, 30, cut the throat of musician Lyle Zimmerman, 56, and lashed out at anyone else who got in his way, the Old Bailey heard.

Mire, who has a history of mental illness, was described by one witness as wide-eyed and "staring, as if he was not there" during the attack.

The whole incident was captured on CCTV at Leytonstone Underground Station and by a member of the public on his mobile phone.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC hailed the bravery of passers-by who leapt to Mr Zimmerman's defence and tried to halt Mire's bloody rampage on the evening of Saturday 5 December.

One man, Daniel Bielinski, escaped Mire's clutches and then filmed him as he attempted to harm others before police arrived and Tasered him.

Mr Rees said: "Instead of running off to protect himself, Mr Bielinski took out his mobile phone and began to record the defendant's actions at some considerable risk to himself. It was a remarkably brave thing to do."

Another man, Andrius Sabaliauskus, was praised for attempting to calm Mire down, at one stage using his backpack to block Mire as he lunged towards him.

Opening the trial, Mr Rees told how Mire launched a brutal attack on "wholly innocent" Mr Zimmerman, who was distinctive in cowboy boots and hat, and was carrying a mandolin.

Footage showed Mire attacking him from behind in the ticket hall with a knife.

Mr Rees said: "At the end of the assault, when Mr Zimmerman was lying motionless and defenceless on the floor of the ticket hall, the defendant crouched over him and quite deliberately began to cut (his) throat with a knife blade.

"Mercifully, Mr Zimmerman survived the ordeal because, although he suffered three jagged wounds to the front of his neck, none of them caused any damage to any of the major blood vessels in that area."

The violence continued as Mire made his way up to street level, where he came across Daniel Bielinski and his girlfriend.

He lashed out with the blade, but Mr Bielinski dodged out of the way before filming the subsequent events.

In the dramatic footage, Mire is shown lunging at other Tube passengers.

Mr Rees said none were seriously hurt, while Mr Sabaliauskus, showed "great courage" in trying to calm Mire down.

Mr Bielinski continued to film events until police arrived and disabled Mire.

The court heard Mire accepts using the knife and has pleaded guilty to wounding Mr Zimmerman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and to attempting to wound four other Tube passengers.

However, he denies attempted murder and the issue for the jury is whether he intended to kill Mr Zimmerman.

Somali-born Mire is a practising Muslim who came to the UK as a young boy. At the time of the attack, he was living alone on benefits in a flat near Leytonstone Tube.

He had suffered from mental illness for years. In 2006, he suffered his first psychotic episode and had "lost touch with reality", jurors were told.

While in hospital he suffered "delusions of a persecutory, religious and grandiose nature", Mr Rees said.

A month before the Tube attack, Mire's GP referred him to mental health services, saying he had paranoid delusions he was being followed by MI5 and MI6.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.