Woman arrested for stabbing four men in West End
A woman was arrested after stabbing four men in London's West End; police are treating it as a mental health related incident.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A 47-year-old woman has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon after four men were stabbed in London's Covent Garden. The incident happened at around 12:30pm on a weekday in one of the busiest parts of the West End, packed with tourists and office workers.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing and arrived within minutes. Officers used Tasers to detain a woman at the scene. A pair of scissors was seized. Four men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were taken to hospital. Two were discharged later that day, while the other two remained in hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening or life-changing. By the following day, all four had been discharged.
Witnesses described shouting and people running. A local business owner said he came out of his shop, saw the woman holding a large pair of scissors, and grabbed her arms to stop her trying to stab people. He then helped one of the injured men, who had lacerations and blood on his back. The London Air Ambulance landed on Trafalgar Square to support the medical response, but the injured were taken to hospital by road.
Police have described the attack as an isolated mental health-related incident. The woman arrested was known to some local people as homeless and living in a hostel in the area. She was initially taken into custody and later charged. The suspect has been named as Stella Golovina. She was due to appear before magistrates.
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation was in its early stages but reassured the community that the incident was believed to be isolated. The force deals with tens of thousands of mental health-related incidents each year, and this case highlighted the challenges officers face in such situations.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The suspect was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. | · | |||
| Two of the four men have been discharged from hospital, while two remain with non-life-threatening injuries. | · | |||
| Police described the incident as an isolated mental health related incident. | · | · | ||
| A 47-year-old woman was arrested after four men were stabbed. | · | · | · | |
| A local business owner grabbed the woman's arms while she held a large pair of scissors. | · | · | · | |
| All four men had been discharged from hospital. | · | · | · | |
| Police seized a pair of scissors. | · | · | · | |
| The four victims are aged 34, 39, 42, and 52. | · | · | · | |
| The suspect was named as Stella Golovina. | · | · | · | |
| The woman is homeless and lives in a hostel in the area. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel focused on the immediate aftermath and the police statement, providing specific details about the victims' ages, the weapon used (scissors), and the air ambulance landing on Trafalgar Square. The tone was factual and concise, with a reporter on the scene giving an update after technical difficulties.
- “police say officers responded within minutes of this incident after receiving a number of reports.”
- “they also confirmed that a pair of scissors were seized.”
- “two of those men have been discharged from hospital while the other two remain, but they are not thought to have life-threatening or life-changing injuries.”
This channel provided a detailed narrative with eyewitness accounts, including a local business owner who intervened. It also highlighted the broader context of police dealing with mental health incidents, noting that the woman was known locally as homeless. The tone was serious and contextual, linking the incident to wider policing challenges.
- “He said he grabbed the arms of the woman who was holding a large pair of scissors.”
- “I do know her, you know, yeah, I mean, I know her walking. She's in the area every day”
- “this incident was a highly visible reminder of one of the biggest challenges for the police Dealing with mental health problems”
This segment repeated the same report as the main BBC News bulletin, with identical eyewitness details and police description. The tone was consistent with the earlier broadcast, focusing on the intervention of a local business owner and the mental health context.
- “He said he grabbed the arms of the woman who was holding a large pair of scissors”
- “I do know her, you know, I mean, I know her walking. She's in the area every day”
- “this incident was a highly visible reminder of one of the biggest challenges for the police Dealing with mental health problems”
This channel provided an update on the charges, naming the suspect as a 47-year-old woman and specifying the four counts of wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon. It also noted that two men remained in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while two had been discharged. The tone was straightforward and focused on the legal developments.
- “A 47-year-old woman has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.”
- “Police had said that this was believed to be an isolated mental health-related incident.”
This channel reported the charging of the suspect, naming her as Stella Golovina, and reiterated the police description of an isolated mental health attack. The tone was brief and factual, focusing on the legal outcome rather than the incident itself.
- “47-year-old Stella Golovina was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.”
- “Officers say it was an isolated mental health attack.”
This channel provided the latest update that all four men had been discharged from hospital, and named the suspect as Stella Golovina. It also noted the court appearance. The tone was concise and focused on the resolution of the medical situation and the charging.
- “Four men were taken to hospital but have all now been discharged.”
- “47-year-old Stella Golovina has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent and is due to appear before magistrates later.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.