A man who desperately tried to save his dying friend 16 years ago says the fatal fight haunts him and he will never forgive the killer.

Campbell Sussex says he is “stuck” living with the horror of seeing his friend dying in front of him and not being able to save him.

His best friend, Daryl Graydon, 24, bled to death from deep knife wounds inflicted by Sean Selby.

Sussex is speaking out now for the first time after a portrayal of killer Selby on TVNZ’s Sunday programme last month angered him.

“I was angry at the Sunday programme; they painted a nice picture of Selby saying he is a changed person who has rebuilt his life. I don’t forgive him, I never will.”

Daryl Graydon 24, was fatally stabbed at Ridge Road, Howick, on December 8, 2007. Photo / Doug Sherring.

Selby told the Sunday programme, “I knew I’d stabbed him; I don’t know where or how many times.”

He said when he woke up the next morning, he thought the stabbing was a “bad dream.” He booked a ticket to Australia under a fake name and was eventually arrested by police in January 2008 and extradited to New Zealand.

There were two stabbers that night.

Campbell Sussex escaped injury after fleeing from Selby’s friend Daryl Lee Fraser, 18, who Sussex says chased him with two steak knives.

Sussex, now 40, says he is speaking publicly to set the record straight. He feels he has never had the opportunity to give his personal account of what happened.

“It’s hard to talk about this because I watched my mate die. I couldn’t save him that’s all there is to it,” Sussex said.

Campbell Sussex says he will never forgive Sean Selby for killing his friend Daryl Graydon in 2007. Photo / Jason Oxenham

On December 8, 2007, teenagers Sean Selby and Daryl Fraser were walking home from a party in Howick and began arguing with another group of partygoers.

After Selby was punched in the face by Daryl Graydon, he and Daryl Fraser left and returned with kitchen knives.

“Me and Daryl had left the party, and we were on our way home like three or four kilometres down the road when they found us. They pulled out the knives and yelled “knifey knifey.”

Sean Selby stabbed Daryl Graydon to death on December 8 2007. Photo / Supplied

Sussex says he and Graydon ran in opposite directions, both fearing for their lives.

“I could see Selby attacking him and Dazzer telling him to f**k. Off”. I never lost sight of my mate, I watched what happened to him and couldn’t do anything because I had someone chasing me, that’s the f***ing” truth. I called 111, waved down cars and tried resuscitating him, the family don’t know this.

“I couldn’t bring myself to tell them, it was so traumatic, I heard him take his last breath. Everyone is quick to judge - what would you do if a guy ran at you with two knives in his hands? I was trying to save my life and he was trying to save his. I wasn’t going to stand there and be killed. I was lucky I slipped as the guy was about to stab me. It gave me a chance to eyeball him. I asked him ‘what the f*** are you doing?”

Daryl Fraser was charged with attempted murder and murdering Daryl Graydon. He chased Campbell Sussex with two knives. Photo / Supplied

Sussex and Graydon were friends at Panmure Intermediate school and reconnected as teenagers.

“Dazzer was a ‘man’s man’ and he would do anything for his friends. He was kind, funny and happy guy who liked to hang out.”

Since Graydon’s funeral, Sussex has had no contact with Graydon’s mother, Louanna, or anyone else in his friend’s family.

Campbell Sussex's best friend Daryl Graydon was fatally stabbed. He has had no contact with Louanna Graydon (on the right) ever since. Photo / Wayne Drought

The landscape maintenance man regrets inviting his friend to the party

“I know they blame me for leaving Dazzer. I had my mate’s family and his friends on one side of the courtroom and on the other side was the killer and his friends – I felt I had two sets of people hating me. I sat by myself and felt so alone.”

Louanna Graydon declined to comment.

Campbell Sussex is haunted by his friend's fatal stabbing in 2007. He says he will never forgive the killer. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Daryl Fraser was arrested in Tauranga. It was later revealed the teenager had stabbed another man in the neck months before Graydon’s killing.

Selby and Fraser were both charged with murder and attempted murder.

Sean Selby was sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing Daryl Graydon in 2007. He fled to Australia under a fake name and was extradited to New Zealand in January 2008. Photo / Supplied

Selby was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole of 11 years and Fraser was sentenced to six years for manslaughter. Selby declined to be interviewed by the Herald. In 2021, he was released on parole, after serving 11 years of his sentence. He has gained a business diploma and is now an education mentor at Massey University.

Sussex said the anniversary of Graydon’s death is still raw and overwhelms him emotionally.

“I know Dazzer’s family blames me, but I hope they know in their hearts I did the best for him that night. Selby wanted to apologise to me last year but I refuse to give him that closure because I don’t have any closure. He is a coward and I hope Daryl’s death haunts him and Fraser for the rest of their lives. It haunts me and never goes away and nothing will bring back my mate.”

Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland- based investigative journalist. She worked for the Herald on Sunday in 2007 and joined the Herald in 2016. She was previously a commissioner at TVNZ and an award-winning current affairs producer for 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.

This article was originally posted on the NZ Herald here.