Dartford man jailed for life after trying to murder work colleague while on day release

A man has been jailed for life after attempting to murder his work colleague by stabbing her with a screwdriver while on day release from prison.

Nicholas Fryers, 57, inflicted more than 70 stab wounds on the victim, including in her head, chest and back, during the assault in Dartford on April 9 last year, Kent Police said.

He was a serving prisoner at HMP Standford Hill but had been working at the Sainsbury’s distribution centre in Dartford when the attack took place, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Fryers was working at the centre in Littlebrook Manor Way as part of a day release, having been convicted of murder in Wales in 1993, Kent Police said.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard Fryers had been working there for about two months and had become obsessed with the victim, including buying her gifts.

Fryers and the victim, who helped to train new employees at the centre, had become friends but he wanted to be what he described as her “boyfriend on the side”, the CPS said.

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

Having asked her to get some items from his car as he planned to finish work early, Fryers attacked her by pulling her to the ground and stabbing her multiple times with a screwdriver, the CPS said.

Two male co-workers at the centre went to the car park where the attack took place and tried to intervene, before Fryers got into his vehicle and fled the scene, Kent Police said.

One of the men managed to remove Fryers’ car registration plate and officers used this to trace the vehicle, as it travelled towards Preston in Lancashire, where Fryers was arrested in the early hours of April 10, the force said.

Fryers, who denied the attack, was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on November 17 last year.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years and four months before being eligible for parole, at the same court on Monday, Kent Police said.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...

Manjit Bath, senior crown prosecutor from CPS South East, said: “This was 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.

“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’.”

Detective Inspector Ross Gurden of Kent Police said: “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.

“He denied the offences and put her through the ordeal of a trial, forcing her to relive the horrendous details.”