A woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 61-year-old man at his home in Strood, Medway.
Nina Mercer, 43, of Gun Lane, Strood, was found guilty of murdering Alan Tomkins, who was fatally stabbed at his flat in Newark Court, Gun Lane, on 23 July 2024. Mercer will now serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole, following her sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday, March 18.
Mr Tomkins, who shared his home with Mercer, was attacked inside the property shortly after receiving a food delivery. It is believed Mercer stabbed him multiple times around 6pm, leaving him with six fatal stab wounds, one of which left a knife lodged in his back.
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Following the attack, Mercer fled the scene and met Lee Robinson, 45, an acquaintance, who later returned with her to the flat where he stole the victim’s wallet and bank cards. Mercer then drove the victim’s car to Cuxton Leisure Park, where it is believed she disposed of her bloodstained clothing.
On 25 July, Mercer returned to the flat with another associate, who peered through the kitchen window and questioned whether Mr Tomkins might be lying on the floor. Mercer dismissed the suggestion, and the body was only discovered later that evening after concerns were raised by friends and colleagues who had not seen or heard from the victim.
Police forced entry to the flat and found Mr Tomkins deceased in the hallway, prompting a full-scale investigation. Mercer, who approached the property while officers were still on the scene, was immediately arrested.
Crucial CCTV evidence and DNA found on the murder weapon linked Mercer to the crime. Robinson was also later arrested and charged after using the victim’s bank cards to make fraudulent purchases at a shop in Brompton Lane.
Robinson, of Frindsbury Road, Strood, was found not guilty of assisting an offender, but pleaded guilty to theft and fraud, receiving a sentence of two years and four months in prison.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Lawry, who led the investigation, said:
The victim had allowed Nina Mercer to stay at his flat and is thought to have funded her lifestyle. She callously repaid him in a brutal assault with a knife that ended his life.
Mercer did not seek medical assistance for Mr Tomkins but instead attempted to cover her tracks. She denied her guilt, was convicted following a trial, and has now been sentenced. I hope this allows the victim’s relatives and friends to find some closure following these tragic events.”
The case has shocked the local community, and police have praised the investigative work that brought Mercer and Robinson to justice.
