Joshua
Stimpson has been found guilty of the murder of his ex-girlfriend Molly
McLaren after a jury rejected claims he had diminished responsibility
due to mental health issues
The
family of a university student stabbed 75 times by her obsessive
ex-boyfriend said they are a facing 'a lifetime of pain, anguish and
loss' as he was jailed for at least 26 years today.
Joshua Stimpson had posted menacing messages about Molly McLaren on Facebook before he attacked her at a retail park in Chatham, Kent last summer.
Following
today's verdict, her family read a statement outside the court: 'The
verdict has brought us a small measure of comfort, but it seems that
nothing will take away the pain or allow us to come to terms with our
Molly being taken from us. We are serving a lifetime of pain, anguish
and loss.'
Miss
McLaren had twice contacted police about her ex's behaviour, the second
time less than a week before her death, but he ignored officers'
warnings to leave her alone.
They were
cries of 'Yes' from Miss McLaren's relatives as a jury rejected his
claims of diminished responsibility due to bipolar disorder and
convicted him of murder today.
Judge
Adele Williams branded Stimpson's crime 'cruel, calculated and cowardly'
as she jailed him for life and ordered he serve at least 26 years
behind bars.
As 26-year-old Stimpson was led to the cells, someone in the public gallery shouted: 'Go on, you b******.'
Molly's
parents Doug and Joanne have sat through the often disturbing trial
with their family and Mrs McLaren was in court to hear the verdict
today.
Stimpson stabbed his ex-girlfriend Molly McLaren 75 times in a gym car park last June
Miss McLaren's former manager said she was 'beautiful, lovely-natured and kind-hearted'
Stimpson killed the university student with this kitchen knife after following her to the gym
Stimpson
and Miss McLaren had been in a seven-month relationship since late 2016
after meeting on Tinder, but she ended it about two weeks before the
fatal attack.
After they split, he began to post things about her online and follow her on nights out.
McLaren
confronted Stimpson after he followed her to the gym on June 29 last
year and tried to work out in the same room. She left the fitness club
when her mother urged her to come home.
But
Stimpson followed her into the car park and repeatedly stabbed her as
she tried to drive off. CCTV showed him being arrested, covered in
blood, after a passer-by bravely tried to stop the attack.
Sentencing
Stimpson, Judge Williams told him: 'This was a cruel, calculated and
cowardly act. This was an act of wickedness. You took away Molly's life
quite deliberately in the most vicious fashion.
'You were determined to punish her for ending the relationship with you. You were seeking revenge.
'She was 23-years-old, beautiful and intelligent. Her family's grief and anguish is raw and apparent for everyone to see.
'You
are a highly dangerous young man and you will pose a very considerable
risk to women for a very considerable period in the future.'
CCTV from the gym in Chatham showed Molly confronting Stimpson after he followed her
CCTV
showed Stimpson following Miss McLaren into a gym. He was then seen
being arrested after launching his savage attack on her outside (left
and right)
Miss McLaren suffered at least 75 knife wounds and her throat was completely cut, Maidstone Crown Court has heard.
Just
minutes before the attack, she had messaged her friends telling them
she was 'looking over her shoulder all the time' because of her
obsessive ex.
Miss McLaren's mother,
Joanne, told the court via a statement that her daughter was
'increasingly anxious' about a series of derogatory comments Stimpson
had posted online, including the false claim that she was taking
cocaine.
In one post, Stimpson had simply written: 'There's more to come.'
Ms McLaren's mother said that her daughter had told her that Stimpson had bipolar disorder.
She wrote: 'I just feel completely numb and broken. It doesn't feel real.'
Speaking after today's verdicts, senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ali Worton paid tribute Miss McLaren's family.
Joanne McLaren, mother of Molly
McLaren, listens to a statement read out by Sergeant Ali Walton as she
leaves Maidstone Crown Court
Miss McLaren's mother and father were praised by police investigating the case today
DS
Worton said: 'Molly was a popular and ambitious young woman with her
whole life ahead of her but this was stolen by Stimpson in the most
brutal way imaginable.
'He has proven
to be an extremely dangerous individual and needs to spend a lengthy
period of time in prison where he can cause no further harm to innocent
people.
'It was clear to the jury and
us that Molly's death was pre-planned and that Stimpson is a cold and
calculated killer rather than somebody who does not have the mental
capacity to control himself.
'By
denying murder and failing to accept responsibility for his actions, he
forced Molly's family and friends to suffer even further distress
through the tough ordeal of a crown court trial.
'I
would like to pay tribute to Molly's family for the strength and
dignity they have shown throughout and I hope this result is of some
comfort.'
Stimpson
denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility, claiming he
had a 'borderline personality disorder' after his parents split up when
he was young.
Miss McLaren was trying to drive away from Stimpson in her Citroen when he attacked
In addition to the murder weapon, police recovered two Stanley knives and a pick axe from Stimpson's car at the scene
Consultant
Dr Shahid Majid said Stimpson had a 'hypersensitivity to any rejection'
after his parents separated and, when his relationship with Miss
McLaren ended, he switched to trying to 'control, frighten and harm
her'.
But prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC
argued that Stimpson had 'carefully considered the execution of Molly'
and his actions before her death showed he was 'following her movements,
waiting for the moment that he has chosen to kill her'.
Two previous girlfriends of Stimpson told how he stalked them after they split from him.
Alexandra
Dale said he would follow her and take pictures of her, asking why she
was wearing certain clothes. He also sent her a photo of her back garden
and threatened to drown her on holiday.
Another
of his ex-girlfriends, Leah Hubbard, said he spat drink all over her in
a nightclub after they split, then waited outside for hours for her to
leave.
Police
force to investigate itself over its handling of case after court hears
killer with history of stalking was twice told to stay away from the
victim by officers
Stimpson, who had a history of stalking ex girlfriends, was twice warned by police to stay away from Miss McLaren
Joshua Stimpson was warned twice by police officers to stay away from Molly McLaren before he stabbed her to death.
He started posting messages on Facebook claiming she had been taking drugs five days after they had broken up.
She reported the posts to Facebook but nothing happened, so she went with her mother Joanna to North Kent Police Station.
A police officer called Stimpson in their presence, put him on speakerphone and warned him to stop or face prosecution.
When
the officer said: 'We wouldn't want Molly to come to the police station
again about you, would we?', Stimpson replied: 'Wouldn't we?'
The 26-year-old was spoken to by police for a second time on June 27 last year, just two days before her death.
Alexandra Dale, who dated him in 2013, had also reported his behaviour towards her to police.
Kent
Police reported itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission,
now known as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), after Ms
McLaren's death.
A spokesman for the
force said: 'Following careful assessment it was determined that this
matter could be investigated by Kent Police's professional standards
department.'
Molly twice reported Stimpson to the police, who spoke to him to warn him to leave her alone
The force said the inquiry would be finalised once criminal proceedings were concluded.
In
their statement after the case, Miss McLaren's family said more needs
to be done the raise awareness of digital stalking and its dangers.
Stimpson
had previously seen his doctor and said he thought he was bipolar. He
was put on prescription medication and referred to a mental health
doctor in July 2016, but did not engage.
Although he was prescribed the medication at the time of the attack, it is not known whether he was taking it.
Victim's
heartbroken family thank the hero who tried to save her as they reveal:
'We are serving lifetime of pain, anguish and loss'
A brave bystander tried to intervene in the deadly attack on Molly McLaren, tackling Stimpson in a bid to stop him.
Benjamin
Morton, tried to pull Stimpson off Molly and shut his leg in the door.
He also tried to grab his leg but it slipped from his grip because of
the blood on it.
Miss McLaren with her parents Doug and Joanne, who were praised by police today
After Stimpson was jailed for life today, Miss McLaren's family paid tribute to Mr Morton and told of their anguish.
Their full statement said: 'The last six months have been horrid beyond belief.
'We couldn't have got through it without the love and support of family and friends.
Brave Benjamin Morton tried to stop the attack by pulling Stimpson away from Miss McLaren
The
statement continued: 'The number of Molly's friends has staggered us,
the like of which we have never known. Those that have visited and
shared in our pain have been a great help.
'We
would like to thank Kent Police for their diligence collecting and
collating the evidence. We would also like to thank the prosecution team
for expediting the due process of the law.
'The full extent of the digital stalking of Molly by Joshua Stimpson may never be known.
'We
would like to thank Benjamin Morton for his brave efforts at the
carpark when he tried to intervene, and hope one day to thank him
personally.
'The contrast in morality between these two people could not be more profound.
'However,
in light of this case, we feel that there needs to be more awareness
over the dangers of stalking and the need for people to report any
concerns over stalking to the police.
'The
verdict has brought us a small measure of comfort, but it seems that
nothing will take away the pain or allow us to come to terms with our
Molly being taken from us. We are serving a lifetime of pain, anguish
and loss.
'This has affected so many people's lives and our hearts go out to each and every one of you.
Miss McLaren's family said they are 'serving a lifetime of pain, anguish and loss'
'Our
focus now turns to making sure Molly will live on through The Molly
McLaren Foundation, helping people with eating disorders.
'Thank you all for your ongoing support with this.
'A light has gone out in all of our hearts but shines bright as a star forever glowing.
'We love you Molly.'
'This was a cruel, calculated and cowardly act': Judge slams Stimpson as she gives him life term
Judge Adele Williams, sitting at
Maidstone Crown Court, said Miss McLaren was 'beautiful and intelligent'
and her family's grief was raw and clear for all to see
The
jury took less than four hours to convict Joshua Stimpson at Maidstone
Crown Court on Tuesday after he stabbed 23-year-old Molly McLaren more
than 75 times in Chatham, Kent, on June 29 last year.
The
26-year-old, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, showed no emotion
as Judge Adele Williams told him he may never be released from jail.
She said: 'This was a cruel, calculated and cowardly act. This was an act of wickedness.
'You took away Molly's life quite deliberately in the most vicious fashion.
'You were determined to punish her for ending the relationship with you. You were seeking revenge.
'She was 23-years-old, beautiful and intelligent.
'Her family's grief and anguish is raw and apparent for everyone to see.'
She said he had shown no remorse for killing Ms McLaren, adding: 'I am sure you are not suffering from a personality disorder.
'You planned this killing.
'You
are a highly dangerous young man and you will pose a very considerable
risk to women for a very considerable period in the future.'
Ms McLaren's family, sat in a packed public gallery, cried as the sentence was read out.
From meeting on Tinder to murder: How Joshua Stimpson grew obsessed with Molly McLaren after couple split
July 2016 - Molly McLaren, from Cobham in Kent, and Joshua Stimpson, from nearby Wouldham, meet on Tinder and start talking.
November - The pair meet in person for the first time.
March 2017 - They spend time apart after Ms McLaren decides she wants to end their relationship.
Stimpson was pictured buying a knife as he planned the horrific knife attack
June 17 - Ms McLaren tells Stimpson their relationship is over during a night out in Maidstone.
June 19 -
A relative tells Ms McLaren Stimpson has been posting derogatory
messages about her on Facebook claiming she has been taking drugs.
June 20 - Ms McLaren applies for a job as a receptionist at Nuffield Gym in Medway Valley Park.
June 21 - Ms McLaren tells a friend in a WhatsApp message that she is scared of Stimpson.
June 22 -
Ms McLaren and her mother Joanne go to North Kent Police Station to
report the messages. An officer calls Stimpson in their presence and
tells him to stop or risk prosecution.
June 27 - Stimpson joins the same gym where Ms McLaren applied to work.
- He is spoken to for a second time by police when the messages continue.
-
At 5pm he buys a Sabatier paring knife from Asda in Chatham. He buys a
Saxon pickaxe from the nearby Homebase 24 minutes later.
June 28
- Ms McLaren posts a selfie on Instagram about her plans for a night
out before going to the Ship and Trades pub in Chatham. Stimpson is
spotted staring at her and her friends from the smoking area.
Stimpson followed Miss McLaren to a pub after she posted this picture on Instagram saying where she was going
June 29 - 10.06am. Ms McLaren arrives at the Dockside retail outlet in Chatham for a workout at PureGym.
-
10.25am. Stimpson arrives and enters the same workout studio as Ms
McLaren, placing his mat near to hers. CCTV shows him pacing up and down
the stairs before going into the studio.
- 10.45am. Ms McLaren texts her mother and says: 'Mum he's turned up at the gym and come next to me.'
- 10.54am. She calls her mother and is told to go straight home and drive safely.
- 10.57am. Stimpson leaves the gym. Ms McLaren leaves three minutes later.
-
11.02am. In her last ever message, Ms McLaren tells friends on
WhatsApp: 'Feel like I'm f****** looking over my shoulder all the time.'
-
11.03am. Witnesses dial 999 as Stimpson yanks the door of the
university student's car open and launches into the frenzied attack
while she is inside. Passerby Benjamin Morton tries to stop him but
Stimpson continues, stabbing her more than 75 times with the kitchen
knife he bought just days before.
- He
is arrested moments later when police find him pacing up and down by the
car covered in blood. The knife and pickaxe are seized from his car.
- He replies 'no comment' when interviewed by police.
June 30 - Stimpson is charged with murder.
January 23, 2018 - Stimpson stands trial at Maidstone Crown Court after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denying murder.
February 6 - A jury unanimously finds Stimpson guilty of murder.
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