Suspect hanged himself after stabbing man multiple times

David Rylands, 46, died shortly after the savage attack on the Selby Street footbridge in Hull on February 3, despite “heroic” efforts to save his life.

His attacker Darren Gordon, 48, - who had spent the afternoon with him and a group of friends watching TV - was found hanged the next day, as Murder Squad detectives scoured the city for him.

An inquest in Hull heard Mr Rylands, known as Tommy, had been stabbed 16 times, with a knife at least 10cm long, and wounds included two in his neck that severed his left carotid artery and left jugular vein. The father-of-six was also stabbed in his back five times, cutting a rib, suggesting a “severe” degree of force, pathologist Dr Jonathan Medcalf told the hearing.

The brutal attack left Mr Rylands, described as a “loveable rogue” who was “very well loved by his family” with “unsurvivable” injuries.

A friend of Mr Rylands, Sara Hunter, joined Mr Rylands, who was walking along the road towards the footbridge with Gordon.

She and Mr Rylands were laughing and joking as they went up the stairs, when out of the blue, Gordon grabbed Mr Rylands by his clothing and pulled him down. “Tommy said: ‘What the f*** are you doing?’ and screamed for me to help him.”

Ms Hunter tried kicking Gordon but was unable to stop him. She had no idea why he did it, but had heard Gordon told two people he “was going to get Tommy” but Mr Rylands “laughed it off.”

A student, who also knew Mr Rylands, also saw what happened. A statement said: “The victim managed to stand up and push him, both fell to the floor. The knifeman grabbed him by the throat and held him to the railings.”

The court heard from the close group of friends, who gathered most days at the home of David Hutchinson to have a few beers and watch quizzes and soaps. Gordon was known as Bamber, after TV quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne “because he thinks he knows everything.” He was described as a “sort of friend” of Mr Rylands.

That day he was unusually quiet, not taking part in the banter. No one was able to offer an explanation for the attack, insisting there had been no falling out or animosity.

Carl King, a life-long friend of Gordon, said Gordon had previously been on heroin. A statement added: “He had recently been trying to clean his life up and was trying to get a job on the fishing boats. He previously had been on prescribed medication, anti-depressants, but he said it was making him mad. He was suicidal and said he wanted to string himself up, but wouldn’t hurt anyone.” His body was found by a dogwalker in the Humber Bridge country park, the next morning hanging by a scarf from a tree.

Det Sgt Debra Carter, said Gordon was quickly identified as the prime suspect. Forensic evidence linked him to the killing, as well as the eyewitness accounts.

Coroner Prof Paul Marks returned a verdict of unlawful killing. He told Mr Rylands’ family: “I can’t begin to think what agony you as a family are going through. The motives behind the attack are unknowable and never will be as the person who perpetrated this is already dead.”