Nurse stabbed record shop owner 'to shock him'

A nurse who injected a record shop owner with a muscle relaxant told police he did it to "give him a shock" after he claimed he had been pushed out of the shop on a previous visit, a court heard

Darren Harris, 58, from Middlesbrough, stabbed Gary Lewis in the backside with a syringe at the Betterdaze shop in Northallerton on 2 July, leaving him "in a state of paralysis".

On arrest he told officers the syringe contained water, but it later emerged it was filled with rocuronium, which he had taken from his workplace at the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Mr Harris, who has worked as a nurse for 24 years, denies attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent, but has admitted administering a noxious substance.

Mr Harris did not give evidence in his defence, but a transcript of his interview with police was read out in court.

He told officers he had been aggrieved after visiting the shop on 29 May when he said he had sold some records to Mr Lewis.

He said they had had an altercation and Mr Lewis had pushed him out of the shop.

"I took loads and loads of albums in for him to have a look through," he said.

"He bought them and I took two of them back with me, but when I was leaving, he just pushed me."

When police asked if there had been a disagreement, he said: "I didn't think there was until he pushed me.

"I got up and got in the car and drove off."

He said the push had exacerbated a problem with his neck, but he had not reported it to police.

However, CCTV played to the jury from a nearby shop showed both men leaving the shop carrying items - presumed to be vinyl - with no sign of animosity.

Speaking about the visit on 2 July, he said: "I went in today and bought a couple of records and thought, I'm just going to frighten him."

He told police he had taken the syringe from hospital at the end of his shift the evening before, and that he had filled it with water.

He said he had planned to travel to Betterdaze the next day, and wanted to give Mr Lewis a shock.

He said he browsed the shop for a few hours, before leaving and returning later on.

"I went back in, bought another album, and that's when I injected him into the leg," he said.

"I told him it was water, not knowing he was going to have a full blown panic attack leading to a cardiac arrest.

"He ran outside screaming and I just sat in my car."

Det Con Martin Ryder from North Yorkshire Police, told the court police had not found a link between the two men and there was no motive to the attack.

Giving evidence, he said: "We made all reasonable enquiries to find a connection between the two parties and we didn't find anything.

"None whatsoever and therefore there was no motive."

The trial continues.

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