Darren Harris syringe attack victim says ‘ordeal not over’

A report store proprietor who suffered a cardiac arrest after being stabbed with a syringe stuffed with a robust muscle relaxant says he fears he might by no means know why he was attacked.

Gary Lewis, 65, virtually died when he was injected with rocuronium by 58-year-old nurse Darren Harris at Betterdaze in Northallerton on 2 July final yr.

Harris, who is because of be sentenced later, was discovered responsible of tried homicide after a trial at Leeds Crown Court docket, however provided no clarification for the assault.

Chatting with the BBC, Mr Lewis mentioned: “It leaves you with the quandary, generally bordering on paranoia, about why anyone would go to these lengths.”

On the day of the assault Harris travelled from his dwelling in Middlesbrough, the place he labored as a nurse at James Prepare dinner Hospital, to Northallerton, the place he stabbed Mr Lewis within the bottom earlier than leaving the store.

Mr Lewis mentioned he had adopted Harris outdoors to confront him, however collapsed a short while later.

CCTV footage exhibits him leaving the store to remonstrate with Harris, earlier than neighbouring shopkeepers come to his help and police arrive to detain Harris.

“Apparently I died on the footpath, my coronary heart stopped on the footpath,” he mentioned.

“I regained consciousness and so they inform me I had a second cardiac arrest within the ambulance.”

Mr Lewis mentioned he had been informed it was his resolution to go away the store, which he places right down to his coaching throughout 30 years within the police power, that saved his life.

“The medical doctors are completely sure,” he mentioned.

“If I might stayed the place I used to be I might have had the center assault with out anybody being round me and the subsequent particular person to stroll within the store would have discovered me.”

When Harris was arrested he repeatedly claimed the syringe had been stuffed with water, but it surely was later discovered to have been crammed with rocuronium.

Harris didn’t give proof throughout his trial however in a police interview he claimed he had been pushed out of the store by Mr Lewis following an argument.

CCTV footage confirmed no such altercation happened and no different motive for the assault has been put ahead.

Mr Lewis mentioned: “No person within the household can get their head round it. It is baffled the police, it is baffled the barristers, it is baffled the court docket, it is most likely baffled the hospital.

“I am not going to plead with the man, but when he is received any humanity he’ll give me a proof.

“It wasn’t random, it could not have been extra deliberate and focused. Whether or not I am going to ever discover out, I virtually need to take care of the likelihood that I won’t and that’s psychologically impacting.”

Mr Lewis mentioned he was again at work inside days of the assault, however mentioned he had struggled with the concept had he not made it out of the store his coronary heart assault would possibly by no means have been revealed as tried homicide.

“The drug clears your system, which is why I might have died if I might stayed within the store,” he mentioned.

“It might have disappeared and no one would have seemed for a pin prick, it will have been put down as a cardiac arrest.

“However the psychology of it, there cannot be many victims of such a criminal offense who need to return to the scene of the crime each single day and sit in the identical seat the place you had been attacked.

“I don’t suppose it would ever be over and accomplished with until I’m given a motive and I can not think about what that motive could be.

“You rack your brains however you have virtually received to not give it some thought an excessive amount of as a result of I could by no means get a proof.”

South Tees Hospitals NHS Basis Belief mentioned Harris’ employment was terminated in August 2024.

It mentioned a evaluate into the storage of medicines, together with managed medicine, in cardiac theatres and common theatres was carried out in mild of the incident and concluded “all theatres had been absolutely compliant with nationwide steering”.