A jury at Maidstone Crown Court has convicted Nina Mercer, 43, of the murder of 61-year-old Alan Tomkins, who was found stabbed to death in his Gun Lane flat last July. The verdict, delivered on Friday, brings to a close a harrowing trial that revealed a brutal betrayal.
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Mr. Tomkins, who shared his Newark Court residence with Mercer, was discovered deceased on July 25, 2024, by Kent Police officers. He had suffered six stab wounds, with a knife which was still protruding from his back.
The court heard how Mercer had stabbed Mr. Tomkins multiple times at their shared flat on July 23, following a food delivery. She then fled the scene, later returning with an associate, Lee Robinson, who proceeded to steal the victim’s wallet and bank cards. Mercer then disposed of her bloodstained clothing at Cuxton Leisure Park, using the victim’s car.
Concerns were raised by a friend of Mr. Tomkins after he failed to show up for work and a scheduled meeting. When police forced entry into his flat, they found his body in the hallway. Mercer arrived at the scene during the police investigation and was promptly arrested.
CCTV footage and forensic analysis of the murder weapon, which revealed Mercer’s DNA, proved crucial in securing the conviction.
Lee Robinson, 45, from Strood, was also charged in connection with the crime. He was found not guilty of assisting an offender but was convicted of theft and fraud, relating to the fraudulent use of Mr. Tomkins’ bank cards.
During the trial, Mercer pleaded not guilty to murder, while Robinson denied assisting an offender but admitted to theft and fraud.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Lawry, the senior investigating officer, expressed her dismay at the crime, stating,
“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 sought to cover her tracks. She denied her guilt but has now been convicted following a trial. Whilst Mercer is currently remanded to await her sentence, I hope the conviction affords the victim’s relatives and friends the opportunity to find some closure following these tragic events.” she added.
Mercer and Robinson will be sentenced on Tuesday, March 18.