.png)
A man has been sentenced after he horrifically stabbed his ex-girlfriend's new lover to death while he was in her bed.
Judge Jeremy Gold KC sentenced Kaydon Prior, 23, who has been described as a 'coercive and controlling' man alongside his friend Jason Curtis, 22, who encouraged the attacks, at Brighton Crown Court yesterday (23 April).
The pair worked together to kill Harrison Tomkins, 25, as he lay in bed and have since been jailed.
Advert
The tragic ordeal took place in Prior's ex-girlfriend, Alicia Parrin’s, flat in Crawley last summer (13 August) after he heard that she had been out with another man.
Prior stabbed Tomkins 10 times in the chest, legs and back with a hunting knife in a 'brutal and frenzied' attack at around 5.30am.
The trial heard that Prior and Curtis were on a night out for the latter's birthday in Chelsea before they went to the 20-year-old's flat.
Advert
The court heard how Prior went back to his own place in order to pick up a key to Parrin's flat, alongside the murder weapon, before heading back over.
Curtis then helped Prior re-gain entry into Parrin's building.
Jurors heard how Prior dropped the knife in the bedroom, punched Parrin, and walked out of the building where he eventually rejoined with Curtis again - telling him to burn his clothes as they fled from the scene.
Prior and Parrin had been in a relationship and living together in his flat based in Three Bridges from around March last year.
Advert
The trial heard Parrin allege Prior was extremely violent and jealous in their relationship, and had even her on one occasion said he would kill her if she was ever with somebody else.
Some months later, in July, Parrin made a 'step towards' ending things things with Prior after getting her own place.
And, the following month, she told him their relationship was over.
She had sent messages to Prior the day before the horrific murder took place, writing 'go f*ck yourself don’t ever contact me again'.
Advert
This, however, didn't stop Prior's delusion that they were still in a relationship.
Parrin and Tomkins, who was a lifeguard, got to know each other at work and things got 'flirtier' between when they met up at a fellow colleague’s leaving do on 12 August.
While the prosecution says that Prior intended to go to Parrin’s flat to catch her with Tomkins, he claimed he went to her place at around 5.00am because he 'didn’t like sleeping on arguments'.
Advert
Parrin had first thought Prior was punching Tomkins, but later realised he had been stabbing him and there was 'blood everywhere'.
Curtis did not give evidence during the trial, but the prosecution said Curtis 'assisted and encouraged' Prior in his 'murderous enterprise' including following Prior into the bedroom where he watched the knife attack.
Prosecutor Alan Gardner KC said: "Harrison Tomkins had no chance. The sudden onslaught was completely unexpected.
"He may well have been asleep when the defendant burst into the bedroom."
Judge Gold said Curtis 'played a full part' in the lead-up to this 'dreadful crime' by assisting Prior.
They were both found guilty of Mr Tomkins’ murder in unanimous verdicts following a trial at Chichester Crown Court.
Sentencing the pair on Tuesday, Judge Gold said: "This was a carefully planned and executed killing of a young man who neither of you knew or had any sensible reason to want to hurt, let alone kill.
"This brutal murder was born out of utter obsession by you, Kaydon Prior, with Alicia Parrin. She was understandably exhausted by your increasingly coercive and controlling behaviour over the last few weeks of your relationship.
"She made it clear to you she no longer put up with it, you could not and would not accept that simple fact."
Telling Prior 'I will always regret the day I met you', in her victim impact statement Parrin revealed she will never be able to recover from the trauma of the attack on the 'totally innocent' man who was brutally killed.
She said: "I can not unsee what happened that night. Everything was in slow motion and I felt weak.
"One of the worst parts is Kaydon would probably take pleasure in how he has pulled my life apart."
Speaking about Tomkins, the judge added: "This court has heard moving victim impact statements from his parents and other family members who are all devastated at the loss of this young man who was so full of potential.
"He was variously described as kind, gentle, charitable, and his loss is understandably said by his family to have left an emptiness that can never be filled."
Tomkins' family members read out their heartbreaking statements in court with his grieving mother, Natasha, describing her late son as a 'brave, adventurous and generous' man who was a 'lover of life' and saw the best in everyone.
She said their amazing family, 'complete and content', was destroyed on the day of Tomkins’ death.
Natasha added: "This targeted attack was so futile. We were robbed of the future of our son.
"The physical pain I experience every day is indescribable.
"I truly feel my heart is breaking."
Prior and Curtis have both have served 252 days in custody and denied charges of murder and manslaughter of Mr Tomkins.
Prior was sentenced to 28 years and Curtis 22 years behind bars.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 3pm-10pm, Monday to Friday.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Rhiannon Ingle