Student stabbed to death by man she met on Tinder days after reporting him to police, court hears

A student was stabbed to death by a man she met on the dating app Tinder, just days after she reported him to the police, a court has heard.

Molly McLaren, 23, was sitting in her car at the Chatham Dockside Outlet in Kent, England, when Joshua Stimpson repeatedly stabbed her in the neck and head just after 11am on June 29 last year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that McLaren and Stimpson started dating in November 2016, but briefly split four months later.

Stimpson, 26, was described as "rather demanding", with McLaren often trying to "put things right". He himself said he had "intense emotions".

She finally ended the relationship on June 17, 12 days before she died.

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In the intervening days, the warehouse worker posted photos and derogatory comments on Facebook about the University of Kent student and part-time barmaid.

McLaren had blocked Stimpson on social media, but learnt of his comments and reported the posts to police on June 22.

The previous day, McLaren had told a relative she feared Stimpson would hurt her.

Describing him as ­"manipulative and turning nasty", she said: "I am actually scared about what he might do. I'm scared he might hurt me. I don't know how on edge he is."

During the killing, Benjamin Morton, a witness, tried to pull Stimpson off McLaren as she screamed.

Morton later told police Stimpson was "continuously" stabbing McLaren, mainly in the neck area. He added: "It was like a frenzy, he was ­doing it again and again."

McLaren, who studied sport, exercise and health, had just been to a gym. Stimpson had been at the same gym and she asked him: "Are you following me now?"

She also sent a WhatsApp message to a group of friends at 11.02am, saying: "Feel like I'm f***ing looking over my shoulder all the time".

It was her last communication.

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC said as she walked to her car, CCTV footage showed Stimpson waiting for her in his vehicle and then begin to tail her. He left his car, walked quickly to hers and yanked the door open as McLaren screamed.

Stimpson, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, was arrested at the scene, covered in blood. The court heard he had told a work colleague he suffered from bipolar disorder.

Two days before the killing, Stimpson bought a Sabatier paring knife from an Asda store in Chatham. It was found on the driver's seat of McLaren's car ­after she died.

Police also discovered a pick axe in Stimpson's car.

The trial continues.

This story originally appeared on the Daily Telegraph and is reproduced with permission.