Anthony Stinson: Violent rapist, abuser, and now a murderer

Violent offender Anthony Stinson, 31, inflicted more than 50 horrific injuries on Charlotte, and left her to die on the floor while her baby daughter slept upstairs.

Stinson, of Queen Victoria Street, Blackburn, had been drinking, taking cocaine and making rap videos with his friends, in which he referenced killing someone, chanting out the grimly prophetic lyrics: “I stamp on your face to the floor, I stamped your face on the floor", less than an hour before he stabbed Charlotte, in the close-knit community of Mill Hill.

Preston Crown Court heard how Stinson visited the local shop, withdrew £150 in cash, and could be seen speaking normally and rationally with the shop keeper while purchasing whiskey and cigarettes, just minutes before he launched a frenzied attack on Charlotte.

In CCTV footage played to the court, Stinson is then seen leaving his home in Queen Victoria Street before walking down Primrose Terrace where Charlotte lived and wandering straight past her house as she sat smoking a cigarette at her front door. 

Stinson in the shop just minutes before her murdered Charlotte (Image: Lancs Police)

He activated a security light which must have alerted him to the fact he was heading down a dead end, so turned around, and as he did so, saw Charlotte again in her doorway.

He would later tell police he saw a cartoon of the devil and carried out the killing firstly by kicking and stamping on Charlotte, 31, before inflicting multiple stab and slash wounds to her body.

The pair had never met before that night, and Stinson then continued the attack inside the address, eventually leaving her body behind the front door.

READ MORE: Anthony Stinson jailed for minimum of 24 years and 2 months

Charlotte's 15-month-old daughter was inside the house at the time - and was left alone upstairs until police were alerted to the killing the next day.

When he was arrested Stinson told officers that he believed he had killed someone, claiming he had been suffering with psychosis at the time and believed he had seen the devil - despite CCTV evidence proving his completely rational behaviour in the lead-up to the attack. 

After protesting his innocence for more than five months, he finally pleaded guilty to murder on the first day of his trial on Monday (August 21), before Judge Robert Altham handed him a life sentence on Thursday.

Stinson must serve a minimum of 24 years and two months in jail before he will be eligible to apply for parole. He will be at least 55-years-old. 

But who is Anthony Stinson and why did he kill an innocent stranger, mother, daughter and loving friend?

Far from being a first-time offender, Stinson, a former chef at Mitton Hall, has a catalogue of violent, disturbing crimes against his name.

In 2013, aged 21, he raped a teenage girl as she slept after a house party.

Evil Stinson admitted ‘taking advantage’ of the youngster, who had been drinking alcohol, after being invited to a house in Clitheroe.

In April 2014 he was sentenced to five years in prison for the attack.

At the time, the court heard how Stinson, then of Derby Street, Clitheroe, attacked his victim as she lay face down on the floor.

When the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, realised what was happening to her, she screamed and ran upstairs.

The court heard how Stinson left his victim traumatised, humiliated and isolated.

Stinson decided to plead not guilty to this offence, but in an act that would be replicated some 10 years later, he changed his plea on the day of his trial, admitting to what he had done.

Following his release, Stinson went on to commit further offences and in 2019 was spared jail for throttling his then partner.

In April 2019, Preston Crown Court heard how on two separate occasions, he strangled his partner following altercations which occurred after they had been drinking.

The offences took place within seven days of each other, with the second leading the victim to fear for her life.

During the first incident on January 27, the pair had been out at a party before an argument ensued, causing the victim to leave.

The couple met back up in Clitheroe town centre before another argument broke out and Stinson ran towards her and grabbed her by the throat.

At the time of that assault, Stinson also headbutted a window belonging to The Grand in York Street, causing £265 of damage.

The couple remained together despite the victim telling him she wanted to end the relationship, but on February 3, Stinson once again tried to strangle his partner after they had been out at another party.

Stinson pushed her to the floor and grabbed her tightly by the throat, to the point she felt strange and everything became weak and she thought she was going to die.

For this offence, Stinson was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to attend a six-month alcohol treatment programme, complete 15 of rehabilitation activity requirement days, attend the building better relationships programme and pay £265 compensation to The Grand.

Prior to killing Charlotte on March 3, Stinson had 11 convictions, comprising 26 offences.

His suspended sentence for the assault on his partner ended in April 2021, just two years before he carried out his wicked attack on Charlotte.

In both previous instances, it is believed Stinson had been drinking and taking drugs, with him admitting in 2019 to having issues with alcohol.

Before he murdered Charlotte, he had been seen on CCTV buying booze from a nearby shop and it was known he had been taking cocaine that night. 

He expressed in his rap videos that he had issues with drugs, and also claimed he had family problems, as he told two witnesses he struggled with his mental health, and claimed he had been abused at the hands of his parents.

Despite Stinson telling police he saw the devil that night, doctors could find no determinate underlying mental health conditions to back up his claims, save from delusions brought on by cocaine use. 

He will now spend the next 24 years and two months behind bars before he can even be considered for release, by which time he will be 55 years old.