Stella Gollovena, 47, has appeared in court charged with stabbing four men in the back with a pair of scissors in London's Covent Garden district. The attack occurred on Wednesday lunchtime, prompting a major police response and an air ambulance landing in Trafalgar Square.
Charges and Court Appearance
Gollovena, of no fixed address, faced five criminal charges for the first time at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon. She is charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon – a pair of scissors – in a public place.
The victims were identified in court as Patrick De Barr, Thomas Harding, Adrian Lovett, and Mantas Jankus. Gollovena spoke only to confirm her identity and did not enter pleas. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded her in custody until the next hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 3 September.
Details of the Attack
The court heard that police were flagged down in Endell Street, a busy tourist area filled with bars, theatres, and restaurants, at approximately 12:25pm. One of the injured victims approached officers, reporting that he and another man had been stabbed. The suspect was then chased and subdued with a Taser.
Police took statements from four men treated in hospital for stab wounds to their backs. A fifth person at the scene claimed to have been stabbed but declined to give a statement. It is alleged that Gollovena had a pair of scissors – also described as a “pair of shears” – when she was arrested.
Emergency Response and Aftermath
An air ambulance helicopter landed in packed Trafalgar Square on Wednesday afternoon. The London Ambulance Service said it “treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the four men, aged 34, 39, 42, and 56, sustained stab wounds but have since been discharged from hospital. Their injuries were not deemed life-threatening or life-changing.
