Police community support officers (PCSOs) stand behind cordon tape at Endell road in covent garden, central London on August 5, 2026. Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
London: A 47-year-old woman was charged on Thursday after four men were stabbed in central London with what is believed to be a pair of scissors.
Stella Gollovena was 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 said the Wednesday midday stabbing was thought to be an "isolated mental health-related incident" and officers had seized a pair of scissors at the scene.
Gollovena was in custody and due to appear in Highbury Magistrates' Court in London later on Thursday.
The four victims aged 34 to 56 were taken to hospital with stab wounds, and have since been discharged after their injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.
Emergency services responded to the stabbing incident in the popular tourist neighbourhood of Covent Garden, near shops, theatres and a popular market.
Witnesses working in a nearby restaurant said police had used tasers to arrest the woman, who was known locally as a homeless person who regularly frequented the area.
Police did not confirm the use of tasers in their statements.
