Loved ones of a 23-year-old woman stabbed to death by her Tinder stalker have spoken out over the horrifying abuse she suffered days before she was murdered. 'Beautiful and intelligent' Molly McLaren matched with 'dangerous' Joshua Stimpson in a seemingly harmless move which ended up with her death.
Stimpson, 26, had seemed to be perfect boyfriend material. But he went on to stab her at least 75 times, with her throat completely slashed through.
Molly lost consciousness within seconds of his chilling attack and could not be saved. Her tragic killing now features in Channel 5 docuseries Stalked: Murder In Slow Motion at 10pm.
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Best friend Amy Lee said: "She never really had a lot of boyfriends. She was quite passionate about finding the right person. For her it wasn't about being in a relationship because everyone else was or because she felt she should be. It was very much about connecting with someone on a personal level."
Stimpson grew up in Stoke-on-Trent but was living just nine miles from Molly in Kent at the time. The pair spoke for 'quite some time' before finally meeting up a few months later, StokeonTrentLive reports.
It was Molly's first serious relationship, with the pair sharing a love of exercise and similar struggles in life. Amy said: "They realised they had what seemed to be quite a lot in common in the sense of the anxiety and struggles they had been through.
"He said to Molly he had also struggled with anxiety and depression and they kind of connected on that level. She almost felt as though she needed to help him through his situation and he in return was helping her."
After several months of dating, Stimpson became increasingly controlling. Molly described his behaviour as 'childish' and said she felt she was 'constantly treading on egg shells'.
Molly is said to have said: "It's just pathetic. I just feel really pressured with you at the moment if I'm honest."
On a night out in Maidstone, Molly broke up with him. When she refused to take him back, he quickly 'turned nasty'.
He started posting insulting Facebook messages, claiming she had been taking drugs five days after they had broken up. University friend Amelia Davis said: "Molly was distraught. She sent me screenshots of the online abuse.
"This was while we were not at university and I wanted to be there for her. I thought that was going to be the end of it and he was going to leave her alone."
Stimpson continued his abuse over WhatsApp, leaving Molly terrified he would turn up at her home. The documentary shows a series of texts Molly sent to her friends, including "I'm scared he might hurt me".
She also told friends: "He knows my parents are going away for two weeks." Molly reported the posts to Facebook but reportedly no action was taken.
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.
The officer said: "We wouldn't want Molly to come to the police station again about you, would we?". Stimpson replied: "Wouldn't we?"
Stimpson was spoken to by police for a second time on June 27, 2017. The following day, he turned up at a bar where Molly was with friends.
Molly had told friends: "I am actually scared of what he might do, I’m scared he might hurt me." Molly and her mum printed pictures of Stimpson and handed them out to neighbours so they could keep a look out for him.
She blocked him from all social media accounts, with her friends doing the same. But sick Stimpson had recruited another girl to follow Molly on social media and report back to him her every move.
Friends said Molly became scared when Stimpson turned up at a bar in Chatham dockside, where they had met for a celebratory dinner. Amy said: "He turned up with another girl. We said 'how strange, what are the odds?'
"We said to Molly 'what a shame that you had to be here to witness him going on another date but she said 'I'm not jealous and that's how I know I'm not in love with him anymore'."
The next morning, the killer followed Molly to her gym at Chatham Dockside Outlet. He began working out right next to her in silence.
When she asked why he was not at work, he said "it's none of your business" before leaving minutes after. Molly messaged her mum saying: "Mum he's turned up at the gym and come next to me".
She called her mother, who told her to go home. In a flurry of messages to friend Amy, Molly wrote: "I’m always looking over my f***ing shoulder."
She was warned not to communicate with her 'freak' ex and to 'stay away from him'. But moments after leaving PureGym at 11.01am, horror struck.
The victim was on her phone as she got into her Citroen C2. Stimpson tailed her around the car park in his dad's Peugeot.
He parked in an adjacent aisle and went to Molly's car before opening the driver's door. The cruel killer stabbed Molly at least 75 times.
Heroic dog walker Benjamin Morton desperately tried to stop Stimpson in the middle of his frenzied attack. He said: "I was shouting 'stop killing her, stop f***ing killing her'. The attack just carried on.
"She was still trying to protect herself but it was obvious she was getting weaker. He was trying to cut her throat. He seemed to be slashing, cutting at her neck.
"No one else was coming so I thought I had to try and do something. I moved around to the driver's side where he was sitting, leaning across attacking her. I could see his leg was sticking out the door. I tried to slam the door on his leg to distract him, to stop him.
"I slammed the door on his leg and he noticed because he moved his leg inside the car. But then he just carried on. The door hadn't shut because his leg was in the way so I moved around and I grabbed his leg to see if I could pull him.
"His leg was covered in blood and my hands slipped off. At that point I stepped back and didn't know what else I could do. I looked inside the car and I could see that she had her throat cut. He seemed determined to make sure she was dead.
"He wasn't stabbing her, he was cutting at her throat at this point, just to make sure she would never come back. I looked at her and I thought 'I don't think there is anything else I can do. She isn't going to survive this'."
Police bodycam footage captured officers arriving at the scene to find Stimpson covered in blood on June 29, 2017. He denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility but was convicted in February last year.
He was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 26 years. Sentencing, Judge Adele Williams, 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. 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."
In a statement, Molly's family said there needs to be more awareness of online stalking. They also praised have-a-go hero Ben, who tried to stop Stimpson.
They 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. 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. The full extent of the digital stalking of Molly by Stimpson may never be known.
"We would like to thank Benjamin Moreton for his brave efforts at the car park 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."
Molly's family has since set up a charity in her name to help people with eating disorders. They added: "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. 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."
Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ali 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. I would also like to thank the police officers and ambulance staff who attended the scene of Molly’s death and fought valiantly to save her.
"They face difficult situations on a daily basis but this was one that will certainly live long in the memory and I am keen that their efforts are recognised."
