A severe incident occurred on 2 July 2024, at Betterdaze, a record shop in Northallerton, involving 65-year-old owner Gary Lewis and 58-year-old nurse Darren Harris. Lewis, who was left with life-threatening injuries after being injected with a syringe containing rocuronium, a muscle-relaxing anaesthetic, continues to grapple with the implications of the attack, expressing confusion over the motives behind it.

The event transpired when Harris, who was employed at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, travelled to Northallerton and entered Lewis’s shop. Following a confrontation, Harris injected Lewis in the back before fleeing the scene. Louis, having followed Harris outside to confront him, collapsed shortly thereafter. “Apparently I died on the footpath, my heart stopped on the footpath,” Lewis noted, recalling that he regained consciousness only to experience a second cardiac arrest in the ambulance. He attributed his survival to a decision made instinctively, resulting from his prior training during three decades with the police force.

CCTV footage captured Lewis’s actions as he exited the shop to speak with Harris, and subsequent assistance from neighbouring shopkeepers and police led to Harris’s apprehension. Upon his arrest, Harris claimed that the syringe contained water; however, forensic analysis confirmed it was filled with rocuronium. No evidence supported Harris’s assertion of being provoked by Lewis or of any prior altercation, leaving both Lewis and law enforcement with unanswered questions regarding the incident’s motive.

Lewis described the uncertainty surrounding the attack as psychologically burdensome, stating, “It’s baffled the police, it’s baffled the barristers, it’s baffled the court.” He added that both he and his family cannot understand why the attack happened, underscoring the deliberate and targeted nature of the assault. In an emotional plea, he reflected on the possibility of never obtaining an explanation, which he believes is essential for his healing process.

Following the ordeal, Lewis returned to work just days later but expressed concern about the lasting psychological effects of having to revisit the site of the attack daily. He acknowledged that the rocuronium would have cleared his system had he not left the shop, potentially leading to his death being misclassified as a standard cardiac arrest without further investigation. The South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that Harris’s employment was terminated in August 2024 and conducted a review of medication storage practices in light of the incident.

Harris is scheduled for sentencing at Leeds Crown Court, having been found guilty of attempted murder during a trial, although he did not testify or clarify his reasons for the attack, leaving many aspects of the case shrouded in mystery. The impact of this incident lingers not only for Lewis but also raises questions and concerns within the community and the healthcare system regarding safety and accountability.

Source: Noah Wire Services