Royston Man Jailed For Attempted Murder Of Colleague

Peter Duffy

A man from Royston's been jailed for 20 years - for attempting to murder one his work mates.

A man from Royston's been jailed for 20 years - for attempting to murder one his work mates.

Peter Duffy went to the Johnson Matthey offices in Orchard Road one night last July - and attacked two of his supervisors with an axe and a large knife.

Duffy's intended victim - managed to wrestle the axe from him - and suffered deep cuts and bruising to his head and upper body in doing so.

But then the 54 year-old from Elm Walk went into an office and found another supervisor and set upon him with a knife - only stopping when he was restrained by other workers before police arrived and arrested him.

He's admitted attempted murder, grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.

Detective Constable Anna Luxon, who investigated, said: "This was an attack that Duffy had planned to carry out when he went to work on that day. He had brought the axe and the knife purposely from his home to hurt his supervisors and, today, his victims are still recovering and coming to terms with what happened to them at the hands of Duffy.

"The Judge concluded that Duffy poses a serious risk to the public and I welcome the substantial sentence that has been handed down to him."

Duffy was also made subject to an additional five years on licence when he is released from prison and a restraining order not to contact or go near his victims and not to go to the premises of Johnson Matthey.

A second charge of attempted murder in relation to the colleague he attacked with the axe was ordered to lie on his file.