Man who stabbed colleague more than 70 times with screwdriver while on day release jailed for life

A man has been sentenced to life behind bars after attempting to murder a co-worker with a screwdriver while on day release from prison.

Nicholas Fryers, 57, stabbed a co-worker more than 70 times – including in her head – during an assault at a Sainsbury’s distribution centre in Dartford, Kent.

Kent Police said Fryers was a serving prisoner at HMP Standford Hill after being convicted of murder in Wales in 1993, but was working at the centre in Littlebrook Manor Way for about two months as part of day release.

He had become obsessed with the victim while working, including buying her gifts, a jury heard.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Fryers and the victim had become friends, but he was hoping to be her “boyfriend on the side”.

The victim told Fryers they were only friends, and ended their friendship after an argument on the evening of the incident (9 April, 2023).

Fryers asked the victim to grab some items from his car as he planned to leave work early, but then attacked her by pulling her to the ground and stabbing her multiple times with a screwdriver, the CPS said.

While Fryers carried out the attack, Kent Police said two other co-workers arrived at the car park and tried to stop the assault.

Fryers then got into his vehicle and fled the car park.

Before he drove out of the car park, one of the men who attempted to intervene was able to remove his car registration plate.

Officers used this to track Fryer as he drove toward Preston in Lancashire. He was arrested there on 10 April.

Fryer was then found guilty of attempted murder on 17 November, and has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years and four months before being eligible for parole.

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‘A terrifying attack’

Senior crown prosecutor from CPS South East Manjit Bath called the incident “a terrifying attack that Fryers had planned, luring his victim to the car park before repeatedly stabbing her”.

“She was exceptionally lucky to escape without serious injury and none of us can imagine the trauma she has been through as a result,” he added.

“There was no dispute in this case that Fryers had attacked his victim, but he claimed he did not intend to seriously injure or kill her, despite the fact that his attack lasted for almost two and a half minutes.

“Thanks to expert evidence that Fryers had used a severe level of force in his attack, we were able to prove that he had attempted to murder his victim.

“This was backed up by evidence from two witnesses, who tried to intervene and described the attack as ‘sustained, brutal and frenzied’.”

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Kent Police Detective Inspector Ross Gurden added: “This was a terrifying incident in which Fryers launched a vicious attack on a young woman who was alone with him in a car park.

“He completely lost control and attempted to inflict as much injury to the victim as he could. It is with only sheer luck that the victim did not lose her life on the night of this incident.”

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