Former British soldier sentenced to 16 to life for bombing of wife's car

A former British soldier was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 16 years at Maidstone crown court Friday, February 18. 33 year old Nicholas Fabian of Vigo, Kent, England was convicted for planting a hand grenade underneath his wife Victoria's car. The hand grenade was stolen from training exercises and was rigged to go off when the victim reversed out of her driveway on March 5, 2010.

The victim suffered burns and shrapnel injuries, and was six months pregnant with her attacker's son, named Freddie. During the attack, Fabian, driving in another car with his four year old son Harry ripped off his shirt to use as a tourniquet. Police suspected Fabian from the beginning, but charges were not filed until they found the green and yellow paint that was found on the grenade and the fishing line used to booby trap the car. Fabian's official charges were attempted murder and causing an explosion with intent to endanger life.

Andrew Patience, QC castigated Fabian before formally pronouncing sentence. "What you did in causing that explosion, with the consequences which flowed from it on March 5 last year, was wicked beyond belief. You conceived a plan to rid yourself of your wife which demonstrated low cunning in its planning and preparation, and utter heartlessness and chilling ruthlessness in its execution...You are an evil man who was prepared to destroy at least one human life in order to achieve your own selfish ends. Not only are you evil but you present a danger to the general public."

Patience said that "your wife was not to know, even when you were sat together on March 4, that the plans for your life together meant nothing to you and you were practising upon her the cruelest of deceptions."

The motive behind the attack was for Fabian to rid himself of his wife and make a life with his mistress Jackie Phillips. The 33 year old Phillips told authorities Fabian promised to leave his wife for her, but Fabian himself said that he felt "lust, infatuation and obsession," but not love for Phillips. Phillips was not the only person who Fabian has had dalliances with.

Since his conviction [Thursday, February 17], it has since been revealed that as well as cheating on his wife, attempted killer Fabian had previously worked as a £50-a-time male prostitute and even starred in a gay porn movie while still a soldier in Aldershot.

Known as ‘Squaddie Nick’, he catered to the sexual needs of older men with an Army uniform fetish. One man, who had a relationship with Fabian after meeting him on a train, said: 'He came on to me strongly and we had sex in the train toilet. 'I dropped him off at his married Army quarters afterwards in my car but that night he was knocking on my door again. He was having affairs with a string of women and wanted gay sex too,' he told The Sun.

At the time [in 2004]he was living with a former partner, Louise Sands, the mother of two of his children. When asked after the trial whether she was aware of her ex’s secret double life, Miss Sands, 30, said: ‘What? Nick? Gay? My head is fried.’

He had spent ten years in The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment and during his time with them he was investigated for ‘misconduct issues’ which saw him demoted from lance corporal to private. He was also alleged to have stolen from his fellow soldiers.

After leaving the Army in 2004 he had found it difficult to adjust to civilian life and claimed he was happy when he was called up to serve as he missed ‘the thrill of being a soldier’, the court heard.

On the day of the attack in March last year Mrs Fabian had planned to take Charlie and Harry, her four-year-old son with Fabian, to get a haircut.

Afterwards all four were due to have a family meal at a Harvester restaurant.

Alastair Dickson from the Kent Crown Prosecution Service, said the affair with Phillips was not the only motive behing the attack on his wife. "Clearly not everyone who has affairs goes on to attempt to kill his wife in such a way...It has something to do with the fact that he was a fantasist and an attention-seeker but I don’t think anyone will ever know the true motive in addition to the Jackie Phillips motive behind this offence."

Dickson praised the victim for facing her attacker in open court instead of from behind a screen. "Victoria Fabian, throughout this terrible ordeal, has shown an enormous degree of bravery and strength. That's reflected in the way she gave her evidence to the court. She was brave enough to make the decision that she didn't want to give evidence from behind a screen, which was available to her. What she wanted to do was face Nicholas Fabian in court and for him to see exactly what he had done to her, and that shows remarkable bravery."