A 47-year-old woman has been charged with stabbing four men in the back with a pair of scissors in Covent Garden, central London, on Wednesday 5 August 2026. Stella Gollovena appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court the following day, facing four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. She was remanded in custody — meaning she will be held until her next court appearance — and is due at Snaresbrook crown court on 3 September 2026. Gollovena, who has no fixed address, confirmed her identity but entered no pleas. The Guardian

The court heard that the four victims — Patrick De Barr, 34, Thomas Harding, 39, Adrian Lovett, 42, and Mantas Jankus, 56 — were stabbed in the back during the incident. Police were flagged down on Endell Street at around 12:25 pm by one of the injured men. That victim and a second person reported being stabbed before officers pursued the suspect and detained her using a Taser. The Guardian

London Ambulance Service treated four patients at the scene and took all of them by road to a major trauma centre as a priority. An air ambulance helicopter landed in Trafalgar Square during the response. All four men were later discharged from hospital; their injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing. The Guardian

The weapon was described in court as a pair of scissors, also referred to as a "pair of shears," which Gollovena allegedly had on her at the time of arrest. Police took statements from the four hospitalised men. A fifth person at the scene said they had also been stabbed but declined to give a statement. The Guardian

The Met Police confirmed Gollovena's date of birth as 24 August 1978, making her 47 at the time of the alleged offences. The decision to charge her and the first court appearance came within roughly 24 hours of the incident. Metropolitan Police

The case now moves to Snaresbrook crown court, where Gollovena will face the five charges on 3 September 2026. In the English legal system, cases involving serious charges like these are sent from a magistrates court (which handles less serious matters) directly to a crown court, where a judge and jury preside. No pleas were entered at this initial appearance, which is standard practice. The charge of wounding with intent falls under Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, placing it among the most serious categories of violent crime on the statute book.

Several procedural details stand out. The potential fifth victim who declined to give a statement means the court's evidential picture may not capture everyone affected. Whether the Crown Prosecution Service — the body responsible for bringing criminal charges in England and Wales — later seeks to amend the charges or call additional evidence at Snaresbrook is a matter for the next hearing. The use of a Taser during the arrest, the rapid charging timeline, and the deployment of air ambulance resources to Trafalgar Square all point to a high-urgency police response, consistent with a multi-victim stabbing in a densely populated part of central London during daytime hours.

Covent Garden is a major tourist and commercial hub in London's West End, drawing heavy foot traffic throughout the day. The incident took place around midday on a Wednesday in August, during peak tourist season. The potential for broader casualties was considerable, though the four confirmed victims suffered injuries that were ultimately assessed as non-life-changing. The case will next be tested at the crown court level, where plea and case management proceedings will determine the trajectory of any trial.