A UK court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Anthony Esan, to life imprisonment for attempting to murder a uniformed army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton, in a knife attack.

Mr Esan, 25, was sentenced on Friday, the third day of a three-day sentencing that commenced on Monday at Maidstone Crown Court.

Sentencing Mr Esan, Justice Picken, a High Court judge, said: •This was the most appalling attack on a serving soldier, the horror of the attack is unimaginable. You’re unlikely to ever be released back into the community with a risk of reoccurrence.”

He added, “In my opinion more likely than not his mental illness was the key driver for this offence – Mr Esan was suffering from an abnormality of mental function at the time of the offence.”

Charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon in a public place, Mr Esan will be detained indefinitely at Broadmoor Hospital.

On January 8, Mr Esan pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Teeton, whom he stabbed at Sally Port Gardens near Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on July 23, 2024, during a hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.