A convicted thug who used his car to ram his estranged wife against railings before beating her with a baseball bat has been jailed for 24 years. Laurence Worville, 51, from Spring Bank West, Hull, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder.
Attack motivated by dead koi carp
The court heard that Worville had been released from prison just days before the attack, which he carried out because he was furious that his wife had allowed his prized koi carp to die while he was behind bars. He tracked her down by sneaking into his former workplace, a Royal Mail depot, to steal mail redirection stickers that revealed her new address.
The attack took place on Chanterlands Avenue near Lytton Avenue in Hull at 7.30am on May 7 last year. CCTV footage showed Worville accelerating his silver Volkswagen Polo into his wife, pinning her against railings. He then retrieved a baseball bat he had purchased from Sports Direct and struck her repeatedly over the head.
Brave intervention by passersby
Witnesses described how two men restrained Worville, while a woman tended to the severely injured victim. Judge John Thackray KC told Worville: "You were plotting to kill your wife over a number of days prior to the attack. You did not see her by chance on the morning of the attack as you claimed. You were actively looking for her in order to kill her and that was the purpose of carrying the baseball bat. But for the intervention of those brave men who intervened, you would have continued the attack and almost certainly have killed her."
The judge added: "The cries and screaming of your wife as she was pinned to the railings by the car and then attacked with the bat were truly horrific. You showed no remorse at the scene, on the contrary, you repeatedly shouted that you hoped the injuries were hurting her. During the trial you did not show a jot of genuine remorse."
Victim's injuries and impact
The victim suffered a badly broken leg, a deep cut to the back of her head, and a broken finger. She was hospitalised for 10 days and now has a titanium rod in her leg, walks with a limp, and has permanent scars. In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said: "My anxiety levels go through the roof when I go past that road where it happened. I am in constant fear when I think, 'What if?'"
Prosecutor Nick Adlington said: "Had it not been for the brave intervention of members of the public, those injuries would have been fatal. The defendant had the settled intention to find and then to kill her and, if he had not been stopped by the members of the public who intervened, he would have done so."
Restraining order breach and previous offences
The attack also breached a restraining order made at Hull Magistrates' Court on April 17 last year, which banned Worville from contacting his estranged wife. Previous offences included assaulting the woman causing actual bodily harm and two assaults in December 2024, for which he had received a community order alongside the restraining order.
In mitigation, Andrea Parnham submitted a letter expressing her client's remorse, noting that he had mental health difficulties and had dropped the bat when confronted. She claimed Worville had been of good character prior to 2024.
Sentence and victim's statement
Judge Thackray KC sentenced Worville to 24 years in prison with a further extension of four years on licence because he posed a serious risk to the public. After the hearing, the victim, who did not wish to be named, said: "I never thought I would ever be put in this position, or that something like this would ever happen to me. Without the heroic actions of those who came to my aid that day, it would have been a very different outcome; I have no doubt that they saved my life."
She added: "My final plea goes to anyone who recognises themselves in this situation or has been affected after hearing what happened to me, please reach out and talk to someone. Whether that's a trusted friend, or family member, the police, charity or support agency, please tell someone. I wish I had done it sooner, but now I am overwhelmed with the result and that Worville is finally behind bars where he belongs."
