The courageous spouse of the British Army officer who was viciously stabbed multiple times on Tuesday, has been pictured with her husband for the first time.
Eileen Teeton heroically fought with her husband’s purported assailant and screamed for assistance during the attack on Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton, just outside a British Army barracks on Tuesday. Her cries for help were recorded by a neighbour’s Ring doorbell camera.
It is reported that Eileen called out to soldiers and neighbours, seeking aid for her husband from his military comrades. Lt Col Teeton suffered “injuries consistent with stab wounds”, according to police. The horrific incident occurred a mere 200 metres from Brompton Barracks.
The alleged assault took place at about 5.55pm on Tuesday, with the suspect being apprehended approximately 25 minutes later.
The Mirror reports that Teeton, who works as a course manager at the headquarters of 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, is currently in a “serious but stable” condition after being stabbed, as prosecutors claim, by an individual wielding a “large knife or machete” who then escaped on a moped.
Lt Col Teeton’s brave wife who fought off his attacker and called for help is also a member of the Brompton and Invicta Military Wives Choir, and has appeared previously on Lorraine in 2020, to promote the comedy film made about their organisation – Military Wives.
Separately, friends have praised her character. An unnamed friend told the Daily Mail: “Eileen is a lovely lady and was in the military wives’ choir. She always pops into the community centre.
“As soon as I heard the wife jumped in to save her husband I immediately thought of her — she’s the one who came to mind.”
Anthony Esan, aged 24, stands accused of the repeated stabbing of Lt Col Teeton. Esan, apprehended near his residence in Rochester close by, faces charges of carrying an offensive weapon in public.
He has yet to submit a plea.
He made an appearance at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, dressed in a grey T-shirt and is scheduled for his next court appearance at Maidstone Crown Court on August 22.
When initially asked to confirm his name and date of birth, the defendant questioned “Why? “.
Esan is set to face trial at Maidstone Crown Court on August 22.
The court heard from Prosecutor Rajni Prashar that a distressing call was made by a bystander to emergency services: “A member of the public called 999 to report a male had been stabbed. It was then reported that the victim was a soldier in uniform.”
Prashar detailed the chilling attack, revealing that an assailant was seen “running up behind” the Army officer and then “pulled the soldier to the ground”, stabbing him “repeatedly” before fleeing the scene on a moped.
Army head General Sir Roly Walker expressed his horror at the “horrific and unprovoked” attack, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer relayed his shock, stating he was “shocked and appalled”.
In an act of charity earlier this year in June, Teeton managed to gather nearly £2,500 for Combat Stress, a veterans mental health charity, by participating in the D-Day challenge in Normandy, as indicated by his fundraising page.
Teeton, on his fundraising page, praised the “vital strides” being made by the charity in assisting veterans and penned a heartfelt message: “In honour of our forefathers as well as current servicemen who have bravely fought to protect our way of life, I will be taking on the D-Day Challenge to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.”
Having joined the British Army back in 2000, Colonel Teeton has been recognised for his service with a long service and good conduct medal in 2018 after over a dozen years.
His military career spans two decades, including a significant stint at the Ministry of Defence where he served as an engineering infrastructure planner and client representative.
