Ismail Dogan’s mother had gone to Social Services for help after he became violent and claimed to be hearing voices but they referred her to her family doctor, who said that Mr Dogan had to go to his surgery, the Old Bailey was told.

Two days before Christmas in 2004 Mr Dogan left his family home in North London at 6am armed with a knife after hearing voices telling him to “kill English people”. He drove around Tottenham and Edmonton in the family car looking for victims and attacked six people within 90 minutes, stopping to buy a second knife from a hardware store when he damaged or lost his first weapon, the court was told.

He killed a 58-year-old man and stabbed four other men and a woman, leaving them all needing hospital treatment. He was said to have told police and a doctor that he had heard a voice from a bird telling him to kill English people and that he was the son of Allah.

Mr Dogan, 31, a minicab driver who came to England from Turkey when he was 13, had paranoid schizophrenia diagnosed in 2000.

After his last hospital visit in 2001, when he spoke of hearing voices and being touched by “other beings”, he was put into the care of his local community mental health trust team and was last reviewed by a doctor as an outpatient in May 2002, when he was prescribed antipsychotic drugs.

About six weeks before the attacks, Mr Dogan’s mother and sister said that he had become suspicious and violent, the jury was told.

His sister had to barricade herself in her bedroom and Mr Dogan, a Kurd, attacked his mother, throwing her against a wall and threatening to kill her, Jonathan Laidlaw, for the prosecution, said.

He said: “A week before the offences the defendant’s family became so concerned about his behaviour they went to the local Social Services department and sought help for him. The defendant’s mother was referred to the family doctor.

“She asked him to visit the defendant but he refused and said the defendant should go to his practice.”

Mr Laidlaw said that on the day of the attacks Mr Dogan left his home, taking a knife and the family car.

“Five of his six victims, although they suffered life-threatening injuries, were fortunate enough to survive what the prosecution suggest were murderous attacks but for the sixth and last victim it was not the case because, tragically, Ernest Meads, a 58-year-old man, died from chest injuries he suffered at this defendant’s hands.”

He said that the unprovoked attacks were carried out without warning as the victims went about their daily lives. Most of them were on their way to work.

“After his arrest he told police that he was happy with what he had done. He said he had heard voices telling him to go out and kill English people.”

He added that he told officers: “The people who died were of no use. So many people are dying in Iraq, who is looking after them? I have done a good job today.”

Mr Dogan, who left school without any formal qualifications, had denied murdering Mr Meads but admitted manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility, a plea the prosecution accepted.

He denies five charges of attempted murder and five alternative charges of wounding with intent.

The prosecution told the jury that although there was no question of identification, they would have to decide what Mr Dogan’s state of mind was at the time of the attacks: was he attempting to murder the six or “did his intention fall short of an intention to kill and is he, therefore, guilty of a less serious offence?” The trial, expected to last a week, continues.

THE VICTIMS

David Symes was walking to Edmonton Green station at 7.45am when Mr Dogan attacked him from behind, stabbing him three times in his lower back. When Mr Symes, 32, shouted for help Mr Dogan ran off

Roger Levy Mr Dogan attacked Mr Levy, 50, a dentist, at 8.30am. He stabbed him from behind, knocking him to the ground, but Mr Levy fought him off

Victoria Cann was cycling to work at 8.45am. A car stopped, an “agitated” man got out and plunged a knife into her chest

Raymond Day He was going to the supermarket. Mr Dogan stabbed Mr Day, 77, in the stomach

Jeffrey Arthur Mr Arthur, 49, was stabbed at 9.00am but was able to run off

Ernest Meads Mr Meads, 49, was fatally stabbed several times as he waited for a lift to work

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