An attempted murderer who stabbed a man he met on a dating app has died at a North East prison. Chad Gurney tried to kill a man in a park after meeting him on Grindr and was jailed for 13 years in 2019.
The 26-year-old had been serving his sentence at HMP Deerbolt in County Durham. On September 24, Gurney died behind bars at the category C jail.
Investigation launched into death
The Prisons and Probations Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the death. Further details will be released when the report is published.
As previously reported in The Mirror, Gurney had compiled a murder plan booklet and listed the ways in which he wanted to kill, including slitting a man's throat with scissors. On July 29 2018, Gurney met a man on the app Grindr and they had consensual sex in a Leicester park.
Attack and conviction
Gurney then tried to stab the man, who suffered minor injuries in the attack. Later, Gurney handed himself in to police and the murder booklet was seized at his home in Saffron Lane, Leicester.
Gurney was found guilty of attempted murder after a trial at Leicester Crown Court and jailed for 13 years with an additional five on licence following his release. Jurors heard that officers found a “planning a murder” notebook, along with a diary containing thoughts of murderous intent stashed at his home.
Admissions and further plans
When being interviewed by officers Gurney also admitted he had twice made plans to kill somebody. On one occasion he followed someone over a bridge and was going to attack him from behind but was unable to go through with it.
The second time he planned to lure someone to a disused building but the person never showed up to the location. In Gurney’s diary he also talked about having already murdered someone but when questioned told officers this was a lie. Officers have conducted preliminary searches in relation to this which have proved negative.
