Man who stabbed mother to death as she relaxed on her doorstep in random attack pleads guilty to murder

A mother has been stabbed to death in Lancashire in a ‘totally random’ attack. Charlotte Wilcock, 31, was having a cigarette outside and was attacked by Anthony Stinson, who is also 31.

Stinson made rap videos about killing someone just an hour before stabbing Wilcock, whose younger daughter was upstairs asleep. He has pleaded guilty to her murder after inflicting 50 wounds.

The incident occurred on March 3, and the pair had never met prior to the ‘ferocious’ attack when Stinson approached his victim on Primrose Terrace, Blackburn, at around 9.10pm as she sat on her doorstep.

Police were alerted to the harrowing incident the next day on March 4, where they also found Charlotte’s 15 month old baby.

Stinson will be sentenced on Thursday (August 24) at Preston Crown Court.

Det Ch Insp Mark Haworth-Oates, of Lancashire Police’s Major Investigation Team said: “On March third this year Stinson approached Charlotte’s address and, for reasons known only to him, launched a brutal attack on her on the doorstep.

"He slashed at her body numerous times in the ferocious assault – inflicting well over 50 individual injuries in the process, many with the use of a Stanley knife - as well as punching and kicking her.

“Charlotte had never met Stinson before that night and had no personal connection to him – she was merely sat on her own doorstep having a cigarette. She should have been safe and could never have foreseen what was about to happen.

“It is clear from speaking to Charlotte’s family that she was very much-loved, and her death has left a huge void in the lives of those who knew her, not least her two children who will now grow up without their mother. It is such a needless loss of a life in truly awful circumstances.”