A MAN has had his throat cut and suffered at least 15 stab wounds in a savage knife attack by an apparent road rage killer on a lonely country road.
Mr Lee Harvey, 25, died from his wounds in front of his fiancee Tracey Andrews, 27. He was attacked by a passenger in another car following an argument with the driver of that vehicle which had tailed Mr Harvey's car for several miles flashing its lights.
The policeman in charge of the inquiry said it was the most vicious attack he had investigated in 30 years.
Miss Andrews was also attacked and suffered a head wound.
Police said the couple were travelling home late on Sunday from a night out at the Marlbrook Public House in Bromsgrove, Hereford and Worcester, in his white Ford Escort RS Turbo 2000, when Mr Harvey overtook another vehicle on the A38.
Detective Superintendent Ian Johnston, leading the hunt for the killer, said Mr Harvey, of The Becks, Alvechurch, Worcestershire, then quickly realised that the other car was following them, flashing its headlights and travelling close to his tail.
Mr Johnston said there was some gesturing taking place between Mr Harvey and the driver of the other vehicle as they travelled through the village of Bircote and came on to Coopers Hill.
He said it appeared that the other vehicle, believed to be an F-reg dark-coloured Ford Sierra in a poor condition, overtook Mr Harvey's car on the single track country lane and both vehicles came to a halt.
Mr Johnston said: ``An altercation took place between the two drivers. It was one of those sort of rows where there was some finger pointing and gesturing. It appears the argument was about the driving and linked to the overtaking manoeuvre that had occurred.
``The driver of the other vehicle returned to his car and as he did so a passenger got out and approached Mr Harvey. Mr Harvey was on his way back to his car but didn't get there. That's the time when the assault took place.''
A post-mortem examination showed that Mr Harvey died from at least 15 stab wounds to his body, face and throat. Mr Johnston said there were also wounds to his neck.
Mr Johnston said it appeared the driver of the other vehicle, and possibly another passenger, had not taken part in the assault and appealed for them to come forward.
Forensic tests were still being carried out on the couple's car and police said that the killer would have been heavily bloodstained.
Mr Johnston said the attack continued after the victim fell to the ground and when Miss Andrews tried to intervene she was also attacked and knocked to the ground. She later received stitches to a head wound above her eyebrow.
He described the attacker as a white man, whose appearance was ``quite distinctive''.
He was aged around 25, 5ft 6ins to 6ft tall and very overweight, wearing a dark-coloured donkey style jacket.
The driver was described as a white male, aged around 18 or 19, with very short dark hair, around 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins tall, of slim build with a very young face.
Mr Johnston said the assault had been sustained: ``You could call it road rage, but to us it's murder. It is very clearly a serious stabbing and we are treating this as murder, a murder that stems from a road rage type incident.
``This was a vicious, vicious crime, one of the most vicious I've seen in 30 years.
``I would like to appeal to the driver of the vehicle, that if he had nothing at all to do with this assault, if it was unplanned and on the spur of the moment, for him to come forward and put the record straight.''
He said the couple's car had been followed for a distance of around three miles before the stabbing and it appeared that the offender's car had left the road and clipped a hedge just three quarters of a mile from the scene. Police believe the dark-coloured vehicle may well have suffered damage to its front near-side as it sped away from the scene.
Police had been alerted to the attack at Coopers Hill by a man leaving a nearby house at about 10.55pm. ``He had not heard anything but was leaving when he heard Mr Harvey's girlfriend comforting him. It appears the couple had earlier been out for a drink and left the pub at approximately 10.40pm to make their way home.''
Mr Harvey, who was unemployed, had lived with Miss Andrews at a ground floor maisonette in Alvechurch. Police said he originally came from the Birmingham area and was an experienced driver who had spent two periods of work as a bus driver.
Mr Harvey's parents were said to be too distressed to talk about their son's death.
Police appealed for any sightings of Mr Harvey's Escort and the other vehicle as they travelled along the A38 or any sightings of the other vehicle once it left the scene.
No murder weapon has yet been found.
The driver and the attacker are both described as having Birmingham accents.
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of slim build with a very young face.
Mr Johnston said the assault had been sustained: ``You could call it road rage, but to us it's murder. It is very clearly a serious stabbing and we are treating this as murder, a murder that stems from a road rage type incident.
``This was a vicious, vicious crime, one of the most vicious I've seen in 30 years. I would like to appeal to the driver of the vehicle, that if he had nothing at all to do with this assault, if it was unplanned and on the spur of the moment, for him to come forward and put the record straight.''
He said the couple's car had been followed for a distance of around three miles before the stabbing and it appeared that the offender's car had left the road and clipped a hedge just three quarters of a mile from the scene. Police believe the dark-coloured vehicle may well have suffered damage to its front near-side as it sped away from the scene.
Police had been alerted to the attack at Coopers Hill by a man leaving a nearby house at about 10.55pm. ``He had not heard anything but was leaving when he heard Mr Harvey's girlfriend comforting him. It appears the couple had earlier been out for a drink and left the pub at approximately 10.40pm to make their way home.''
Mr Harvey, who was unemployed, had lived with Miss Andrews at a ground floor maisonette in Alvechurch. Police said he originally came from the Birmingham area and was an experienced driver who had spent two periods of work as a bus driver.
Mr Harvey's parents were said to be too distressed to talk about their son's death.
Police appealed for any sightings of Mr Harvey's Escort and the other vehicle as they travelled along the A38 or any sightings of the other vehicle once it left the scene.
No murder weapon has yet been found.
The driver and the attacker are both described as having Birmingham accents.
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