Man charged with attempted murder of ‘American spy’ near GCQH appears in court

A knifeman tried to murder an ‘American spy’ outside a leisure centre because who thought she was a spy who represented ‘the state’, a court heard. 

Joshua Bowles, 29, allegedly stabbed the woman in the leisure centre carpark in Tommy Taylor’s Lane in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, at around 9.15pm on March 9.

Prosecutors say Bowles attacked the woman ‘believing the worked at GCHQ’,  Britain’s signals intelligence and cyber security agency.

Wearing a grey tracksuit bearded Bowles appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today charged with attempted murder and assaulting Alex Fuentes when he intervened. He did not enter a plea.

It’s understood the woman had been on secondment to the GCHQ, which is based just three miles away. The nature of her work has not been revealed, but GCHQ has a strong relationship with its US equivalent, the National Security Agency.

Joshua Bowles, 29, allegedly stabbed the woman in the leisure centre carpark in Tommy Taylor’s Lane in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He appeared in court today

 The victim is said to have been sitting in a car when the knifeman lashed out stabbing her in the leisure centre car park. Pictured: Police at the scene on Friday morning

Pictured is GCHQ, the headquarters of the intelligence and security agency whose staff work to identify and disrupt terror plots across the UK

Kathryn Selby, prosecuting, said: ‘This was a serious incident of attempted murder, this was a planned attack. The defendant has researched the victim and her whereabouts believing her to work for GCHQ.

‘He has then travelled to the leisure centre taking with him two knives.

‘He saw his victim enter the centre and waited outside. When she came outside with a friend he has gone up to her and attacked her with a knife.

‘We believe he selected the victim because she is a worker for GCHQ and he holds views on the work he believes they conduct there. 

‘He attacked her because in his mind she represents the state.’

Bowles allegedly punched Mr Fuentes repeatedly when he tried to intervene.

Bowles, of Welwyn Mews, Cheltenham, is charged with attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm.

Police tape at Leisure At Cheltenham following the incident at around 9.15pm on Thursday night in Tommy Taylors Lane in Cheltenham

Pictured is the leisure centre, Leisure At Cheltenham, close to where the incident took place on Thursday

He was remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on 31 March.

Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: ‘The CPS has authorised Gloucestershire police to charge Joshua Bowles with attempted murder.

‘This charge is in relation to a woman who was stabbed outside a leisure centre in Cheltenham on Thursday 9 March.’

Speaking after the incident Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone, of Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: ‘I would like to reassure those living locally or visiting the county that we believe this was an isolated incident and we are not aware of any wider threat to members of the public.

‘We are working closely with our partners in Counter Terrorism Policing.

‘We appreciate that an incident of this nature may be concerning and we would encourage people to contact us via 101 with any additional information they may have about the incident.’