Maidstone Crown Court
A jury has found a man guilty of attempted murder after he repeatedly stabbed a woman in Dartford.
Nicholas Fryers denied the attack but was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 17 November 2023.
Fryers was working at a distribution centre in Littlebrook Manor Way, as part of a day release, having previously been convicted of murder in Wales in 1993.
The court heard how he had been working at the site for around two months and had become obsessed with another employee, buying her gifts and bombarding her with text messages, causing her to become concerned about his behaviour.
On the evening of Sunday 9 April 2023, the victim had told the 55-year-old that she no longer wanted to have a friendship. Fryers later told her he was about to leave the site and she should collect her belongings from his car.
As the pair walked to his vehicle he started to attack her with a screwdriver, stabbing the 24-year-old woman in her head, chest and back.
As the incident was unfolding, two men who also worked at the site separately entered the car park and tried to intervene to stop the assault.
Fryers then got into his vehicle and fled the car park. The victim was able to run from the scene and obtain first aid before being taken to hospital.
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 from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate were notified of the incident and were able to trace this registration number as the vehicle left Kent.
Fryers was identified as travelling towards Preston in Lancashire, where he was arrested at around 3.17am on 10 April. He was later charged in connection with the incident.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Ross Gurden said:
‘Fryers completely lost control and launched a vicious attack on a young woman who was alone with him in a car park.
‘He is a dangerous man and I’m pleased the jury found him guilty and that he has been held accountable for his actions. He now faces a lengthy sentence behind bars.’