A man, described as “cruel” and “calculating,” has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for attempting to kill his estranged wife. Laurence Worville, 51, was found guilty of the crime by a jury at Hull Crown Court after a violent attack in Hull on May 7 last year. The victim suffered severe injuries, including a badly broken leg, a deep head wound, and a fractured finger, requiring a 10-day hospitalization.
Worville, who had recently been released from prison, located his wife by illicitly obtaining mail redirection details from his former workplace at Royal Mail. He had a history of violence towards her and had previously served time for assaulting her.
During the trial, it was revealed that Worville harbored resentment towards his wife for the death of his koi carp while he was incarcerated. CCTV footage of the incident captured him deliberately driving his car at the victim, hitting her and then repeatedly striking her with a baseball bat he had purchased the day before.
The judge, John Thackray KC, condemned Worville’s premeditated actions, stating that he had planned the attack for several days and was actively seeking to harm his wife. Thanks to the intervention of courageous bystanders, the victim’s life was likely saved as they subdued Worville during the assault.
Despite expressing remorse through his lawyer, Worville was sentenced to 24 years in prison with an additional four years on license due to the grave risk he posed to the public. The judge commended those who intervened to help the victim, acknowledging their bravery.
Detective Inspector Helen Collier described Worville as a dangerous individual who orchestrated a heinous attack on an innocent woman. She praised the public’s intervention in stopping the assault and emphasized the severity of the injuries inflicted on the victim. Worville’s attempts to minimize his actions and his refusal to admit his intent to kill were condemned as cowardly and cruel.
