Asda slasher whispered “random murder” before cutting teen’s throat

A 51-year-old man has been jailed for over 10 years after slitting the throat of a teenage salesman in a chilling attack outside a Grimsby supermarket, during which he whispered ‘random murder’ into his victim’s ear.

As previously reported, Colin Clarkson of Heneage Road in Grimsby attended Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on Friday, July 20 charged with the attempted murder of a man at the Asda supermarket on Holles Street. Luckily, the victim survived.

The hearing heard he was charged with being in possession of both a craft knife and a steak knife.

Clarkson admitted carrying out the attack on his 19-year-old victim in front of horrified shoppers, which happened at 5.30pm on Wednesday, July 18.

He has now been jailed for 10 years and eight months. Clarkson was also told he will serve an extended five years on licence on his release.

Calmly eating raspberries

After the attack Clarkson calmly walked into the fruit and veg section of the supermarket and sat down on the floor to eat a punnet of raspberries.

When he was challenged by the store manager he announced “I’ve killed someone” before taking a steak knife from his back pocket and slamming it onto a nearby conveyer belt.

He then waited calmly for Humberside Police officers to arrive and arrest him.

Clarkson was later deemed fit to stand trial and admitted attempted murder.

Luckily, his knife had not cut into his victim’s artery or windpipe and he escaped with a four inch cut to his neck. However, he will have to live with the psychological impact of the ordeal for the rest of his life.

“My whole life changed in seconds”

In his victim impact statement submitted to the court, the 19-year-old business and marketing student said: “My whole life changed in seconds.

“All in all I am a shell of who I was. I have been left with a lifelong reminder of what happened.

“I have grown a beard to disguise the injury – that way I don’t have to see it each time I look in the mirror or see a photograph.

“I tried to carry on as normal with work but I quickly found that I would suffer with flashbacks. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“I was scared, jumpy and too nervous. I had to leave.

“I have never caused him harm. I had never met him and he has stolen so much of my life.”

“Disturbing random attack”

Detective Constable Abbie Auckland, who led the investigation, said: “This was a really disturbing random attack, which his victim is incredibly lucky to have survived.

“CCTV shows that at about 5.30pm Clarkson was standing outside the store watching his victim going about his business.

“He stays there, watching him, for around 10 minutes before approaching him from behind as he deals with a customer.

“At that point you can clearly see the knife in his hand and then he attacks.

“What is most chilling is the way he then walks calmly away to the fruit and veg section and sits on the floor eating raspberries until he’s approached by the store manager.

“Luckily, attacks of this kind are incredibly rare. However, our thoughts remain with the victim and his friends and family, who will have to live with the consequences of Clarkson’s actions for the rest of their lives.

“Hopefully today’s sentencing will allow them to start to put this behind them.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the public, colleagues at the store and the ambulance crew for their quick thinking and bravery in dealing with what must have been a terrifying incident.

“Their actions meant that we were able to quickly arrest Clarkson at the scene and ensure that no-one else was injured.”