Man denies stabbing lifeguard to death in jealous rage

A man accused of murdering a lifeguard in a jealous rage at his ex-girlfriend’s flat has told a court he “didn’t plan for any of this to happen”.

Kaydon Prior allegedly stabbed Harrison Tomkins, 25, in the chest, legs and back with a hunting knife in a “brutal and frenzied” attack while he was in bed in Crawley on August 13 2023.

Giving evidence at Chichester Crown Court, the 23-year-old said he went to Alicia Parrin’s flat with his friend Jason Curtis, 22, hoping to talk to her about an argument they had the day earlier and was “startled” when he entered the flat.

Despite Ms Parrin’s messages to him saying, “go f*** yourself don’t ever contact me again”, he said he still believed they were in a relationship, adding: “She always gets angry and says stuff like this, it’s nothing new.”

Prosecutor Alan Gardner KC accused Prior of intending to go to Ms Parrin’s flat to catch her red-handed with another man but Prior said he went to her home at around 5am because he “didn’t like sleeping on arguments”.

Asked why he went out of his way to get into Ms Parrin’s flat after a night out in London and Crawley, he said: “It’s not out of my way, I’m not doing anything else.

“I don’t like sleeping on arguments, there was no reason to.”

Prior said he did not hear voices at Ms Parrin’s flat when he and Curtis arrived, and went back to his flat to collect a spare key to let himself in to wait for her.

He added: “My plan was just to go in her house, smoke with (Curtis) and wait for her to come back.”

But when the pair entered the flat he said Mr Tomkins and Ms Parrin immediately got out of bed and a fight broke out between him and the 25-year-old lifeguard, throwing punches.

He then said both of them were reaching for the knife and that Mr Tomkins was leaning over him.

“I just swung the knife on the floor just overwards… I just swang at him,” Prior said.

Mr Gardner accused Prior of intending to kill Mr Tomkins as he was in an “angry rage”.

Prior replied: “No, I was scared, I was frightened.

“I was just trying to get out of there, I was panicking… I couldn’t get him off me.”

The prosecution allege Curtis “assisted and encouraged” Prior in his “murderous enterprise” including following Prior into the bedroom where he watched the alleged knife attack.

But Prior said of his friend: “Jason was nothing to do with anything of this. He should not even be here. He did nothing at all.”

Prior previously told jurors he was “truly ashamed” and “shocked” in the aftermath of knifing Mr Tomkins.

He said after the fight: “My body went into total shock, I stared at him for a second.

“I was shitting myself.”

The court heard Curtis will not be giving evidence in the case against him.

Prior, of Hazelwick Avenue, Three Bridges, and Curtis, of Lairdale Road in Lambeth, south London, both deny charges of murder and manslaughter of Mr Tomkins.

The trial continues.