Man Sentenced For Manslaughter

A man has been sentenced for manslaughter following the discovery of a body in woodland next to Hornsmill Road.

Terry Fryatt, 30, of Horns Close, Hertford, has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

28 year old Philip Barry, known locally as ‘Hackney Phil’, was found dead in a wooded area off of Hornsmill Road in May.

Police were called by Fryatt to the wooded area off Hornsmill Road at 9:35pm on Saturday 26th May, where police found the victim dead.

Fryatt then told police that he had killed his friend and he was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was later charged with murder but a guilty plea to manslaughter was later accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The court heard how Fryatt and Philip had been spending time together in the weeks leading up to Philip’s death.

On the day of Philip’s death they had spent much of the day together and were at times joined by other friends. During the day, Fryatt had expressed frustration about Philip in relation to the purchase of alcohol.

Philip is believed to have died at or before 8.46pm from compression to his neck.

Between the time of Philip’s death and the police being called, Fryatt had contacted friends and family about what had happened. Despite Fryatt’s claims that he had been trying to contact the police for 45 minutes, the investigation found no evidence of any emergency call.

Fryatt claimed that Philip had become aggressive towards him and as a result had restrained him to protect himself. He claimed that he did not intend to kill or cause serious harm to Philip. During the post-mortem examination, no evidence of restraint injuries were found.

Detective Constable Heidi Kerlin, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "Philip Barry had his life taken from him far too young and he is deeply missed by his friends and family. While Terry Fryatt might have felt regret at what happened on that evening, the fact that he delayed calling the emergency services is a betrayal of that friendship they once shared."