Gerard Parkinson, 64, of Sidcup, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder at Maidstone Crown Court and sentenced to 28 years in prison with a further five years on licence after attacking two women at a Swanley home in March 2023.
Gerard Parkinson, 64, of Parkhill Road, Sidcup, has been jailed for 28 years — with a further five years to be served on licence upon release — after a jury found him guilty of trying to kill two women with a hammer and knife at their home in Bonney Way, Swanley. The attacks happened during the late morning of 1 March 2023. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on 31 July 2026.
Parkinson struck the first victim on the head with a club hammer in the kitchen, knocking her unconscious. He then went upstairs, where the second woman was asleep, and stabbed her in the chest before hitting her with the hammer too. She fought back — wrestling the knife from him — and her screams brought a relative to the scene, who managed to take the knife off Parkinson, sustaining cuts to his hand in the process. The second victim fled the house. But Parkinson was not finished. As the first woman came round and tried to leave, he attacked her again with the hammer. A neighbour eventually pinned him to the ground until police arrived. Both women were taken to hospital with multiple serious injuries; one had suffered a punctured lung.
He denied everything. The jury disagreed.
Parkinson had already admitted a separate charge of perverting the course of justice — he had rung one of the victims from custody trying to get her to drop her allegations.
Detective Sergeant Ashley Evans, of Kent Police, described Parkinson as a dangerous and violent individual responsible for a brutal and unprovoked attack on two defenceless women within their own home. DS Evans said that had the second victim not managed to shout out and bring help, it was highly likely the assault would have proved fatal — the multiple lacerations to her hands evidence of just how hard she had fought for her life.
DS Evans praised the courage of both victims in supporting the investigation and enduring a trial, and commended the relative and neighbour who stepped in to assist. He said he hoped the sentence delivered by the court would help the women feel safe once again, knowing that Parkinson is behind bars for a considerable time and can cause no further harm.