The parents of Molly McLaren have tearfully told ITV of the devastating moment their daughter had been murdered at the hands of her stalker ex-boyfriend.
Beautiful Molly had been working out in the gym at Chatham Dockside when Joshua Stimpson was seen on CCTV cameras pacing corridors and working out in a secluded room, right next to her.
Just minutes later he launched a horrific attack on Molly as she went to get in her car in the car park to go home.
Jo McLaren's interview, broadcast tonight (June 19) told how the agonising news had confirmed the worst possible fear, that it was her daughter caught up in an incident which had been widely reported on social media.
Stimpson, who is now serving a minimum of 26 years for murder, stabbed his ex 75 times with a kitchen knife at 11.43am on June 29, nearly a year ago.
Stimpson's trial took place in January and concluded in February.
The double glazing salesman had tried to plead diminished responsibility, but a jury reached its verdict in less than four hours.
Mrs McLaren relived the final conversations she had with her daughter that day.
She told ITV that she wished she hadn't told Molly to "just come home".
"If she had stayed there then maybe, with people around her, she'd still be here," Mrs McLaren said.
"But I said 'come home' and that was the last time we spoke."
Molly McLaren murder trial
- Bodycam footage after stabbing
- Haunting last message
- Stimpson denies murder
- In memory of Molly
'You have got to tell me'
Mrs McLaren said a friend of Molly's sent her a screenshot of the incident which had unfolded and she said that she "knew instantly".
With that, she tried to contact Molly, who was 23 at the time, again.
But there was no answer.
She added: "I kicked off in the police car and when we got home, and before we sat down I said 'you have just got to tell me.
"They said yes it's Molly.
"I said 'she's dead isn't she? They said yes."
Changes
Mr and Mrs McLaren told ITV that while police did offer their daughter support, they believe that more needs to be done to strengthen resources for reports of stalking.
Molly and Stimpson had began talking to each other on dating app Tinder in July 2016.
But when she had decided to break up with him earlier that month, he had posted nasty comments on social media falsely claiming she dabbled in cocaine.
After being advised by a family friend, Molly took the decision to collate and print out all of the posts and go to North Kent Police Station, where she reported the abuse to PC Philpott on June 22.
A phone conversation with Stimpson was had where PC Philpott dialled Stimpson on loudspeaker and told him: "We wouldn’t want Molly to come to the police station again about you would we?"
This happened just days before her murder.
Molly's parents also said that they had been that concerned about his actions that they had given pictures of him to neighbours in case they spotted him outside their house in Cobham near Gravesend.
The family told ITV that Stimpson has never shown remorse or offered any explanation for his actions.
Molly McLaren Foundation
Shortly after her death, friends and family set up the Molly McLaren Foundation donation page which raised an incredible £23,000 for charity.
Family and friends will carefully select groups that support people with eating disorders to distribute the money to.
An emotional tribute on the page reads: "Sadly, our beautiful Molly was horrifically taken from us on the morning of Thursday 29th June.
"We would like to channel the support we have already received to support Molly’s commitment to helping those around her. Her ongoing battle with her eating disorder and her drive to help others is the focus of our mission.
"Just the evening before Molly was taken from us, she was celebrating with her friends on her success of enrolling on a personal training course which would set her up for the lifelong commitment in health and well-being which was an extension of her current degree of study.
"This perfectly demonstrates Molly’s passion for promoting self-acceptance of body image, achieved through holistic wellbeing, healthy life style and positive mental attitudes.
"She actively promoted this through her blog and social media to inspire change and instil confidence in others.
"For those of you who were close to Molly, you will know that she battled with bulimia and subsequently anxiety, as a result of an eating disorder, for many years of her life.
"Instead of letting this beat her, she shared her own story in the hopes of empowering others around her.
"We want to create a legacy in her honour by channelling her passion and drive to create the most positive outcome possible through the creation of The Molly McLaren Foundation.
"We think that it is important to acknowledge all of the amazing, kind donations that we have already received through the Just Giving page thoughtfully already set up.
"We will be using these funds to get our foundation up and running, and any surplus money will be donated directly to our chosen charities."
For more information about The Molly McLaren Foundation or to donate, visit the page here.
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.
