A woman faced charges in court for allegedly stabbing four men with scissors in London’s Covent Garden. Stella Gollovena, aged 47, is accused of assaulting Patrick De Barr, Thomas Harding, Adrian Lovett, and Mantas Jankus during an incident that occurred on a Wednesday afternoon.
Gollovena has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a pair of scissors, in a public place. She appeared in court at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court for the first time, where she faced these five criminal charges.
According to reports from the court hearing, the police were alerted in Endell Street, a bustling area with tourists, bars, theatres, and restaurants, around 12.25 pm by one of the injured victims. The victim and another individual informed the police that they had been stabbed, leading officers to pursue and apprehend the suspect using a Taser.
Witness statements were obtained from four men who received medical treatment for stab wounds to their backs, while a fifth person reported being stabbed but declined to provide a statement to the authorities at the scene. It is alleged that Gollovena was carrying a pair of scissors, also referred to as shears, when she was arrested.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram ordered Gollovena to remain in custody until the next hearing scheduled at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 3. Gollovena confirmed her identity during the court proceedings but did not enter any pleas to the charges.
Following the stabbings, an air ambulance helicopter landed in a crowded Trafalgar Square on Wednesday afternoon. The London Ambulance Service confirmed that they treated four patients at the scene and transported them to a major trauma center as a priority by road.
The Metropolitan Police mentioned that the four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 56, sustained stab wounds but have since been released from the hospital as their injuries were not considered life-threatening or life-altering.
