THIS is the horrifying moment a dazed shop owner slumped to the ground after being injected with a deadly drug by a twisted nurse.
Darren Harris, 57, administered a stolen dose of Rocuronium, which is a muscle relaxant used in anaesthetics, into Gary Lewis’ backside.
The victim was left “completely paralysed” by the attack – with shocking video showing him collapse from a chair outside his shop.
As emergency services battled to save Gary’s life, “calm” Harris was repeatedly asked what he had injected him with.
The anaesthetic nurse repeatedly answered “nothing” before telling paramedics and police it was “just water”.
Harris later claimed he injected complete stranger Gary to “give him a fright” and cause some numbing.
But Leeds Crown Court was told Rocuronium is usually given in an operating theatre when the patient is closely monitored and machines help them breathe.
With these aids removed, it could cause a person to stop the breathing muscles from working and cause death.
Harris has now been found guilty of attempted murder following a trial.
Prosecutor Richard Herrmann told the court: “The events of this case involve the manifestation of two of the greatest human fears.
“The first, it involves and out of nowhere, to all intents and purposes completely unprovoked, indiscriminate attack of extreme violence by a complete stranger in plain sight and in broad daylight.
“And the second, it rendered the victim completely paralysed, unable to communicate in any way, even in the slightest of ways, with those who were panicking and those who were trying to save him while at the same time and up to the point he loses consciousness, being able to hear and understand everything that was going on around him.”
Jurors heard Gary had owned and managed his record store in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, for more than 15 years.
Although Harris had been a customer a few days before the horror, nothing had happened to make Gary believe he “harboured murderous intent towards him”.
On July 2 last year, Harris walked into the shop and without warning, stabbed Gary in the buttock with a hypodermic needle.
The specialist nurse had stolen the drug and equipment used in the attack from the James Cook Hospital in Teesside where he worked.
Mr Herrmann said: “It is a matter of great good fortune that the effects of the drug were delayed so Gary Lewis was able to pursue the defendant out of the otherwise empty shop, amongst other things to shout for help and tell those who came to his aid what happened.
“Had he not been able to get out, it is highly probable, and it certainly Gary Lewis’ belief, he would have died alone in his shop behind the counter and in all likelihood with it being put down to natural causes.”
Gary deteriorated rapidly when he left the shop and went into respiratory arrest before falling unconscious.
The court heard he only survived thanks to quick actions from paramedics who performed CPR.
Without emergency treatment, Gary would have died within minutes.
In a victim impact statement, he said: “My life and that of my family, friends and colleagues has been irrevocably changed by the violent and unprovoked actions of Darren Harris on that day.
“I am grateful for the overwhelming help and support that I have received throughout the six months since I was attacked.”
Harris will be sentenced at a later date.
