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A man who stabbed a pregnant woman to death had gone to police three times claiming voices were telling him to harm people, a jury heard.Alan McMullan fatally stabbed 21-year-old Claire Wilson as she walked to her job as a Pizza Hut waitress in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, last June.
At Hull Crown Court, Mr McMullan, 54, of Sherwood Road, Grimsby, admits killing her but denies murder.
The court heard he approached police three times in 2008 armed with a knife.
Lynn Tayton QC, prosecuting, said he went into the same police station on three occasions in June and July that year.
She told the jury Mr McMullan told police at the station he was hearing voices telling him to harm or kill people and was admitted to hospital on each occasion, where he received treatment from mental health services and was later released.
'No expression'
Miss Tayton said doctors observed no psychotic symptoms on his first admission and were unable to find an abnormality in his perceptions on the second occasion.
On his final admission, staff at the hospital took the view he was exaggerating his symptoms to gain admission to hospital.
Miss Tayton said Mr McMullan did not deny killing Miss Wilson but the issue was his state of mind at the time of the attack.
The jury heard that when Mr McMullan was arrested shortly after the attack on Miss Wilson he told officers: "I've got voices in my head telling me to do it. I left the knife stuck in her."
Miss Tayton told the court Miss Wilson, who was six months pregnant, had not wanted to go to work on the day of the attack as she was tired after being woken up early by the baby kicking. But her boyfriend Adam Kennard told her it would be all right and she set off alone to walk the short distance from her home to the restaurant.
The court heard witnesses watched as Mr McMullan walked up behind Miss Wilson in the street and forcefully stabbed her once in the back.
Miss Tayton said: "The defendant did not say anything as he did this and had no expression on his face. Afterwards he walked casually away."
Miss Wilson was taken to hospital, where doctors unsuccessfully tried to save her and her unborn baby.
The trial continues.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.