A schizophrenic claiming to be Prince Charles kill

A schizophrenic claiming to be Prince Charles killed a woman neighbour in the deluded belief that she was a Nazi, the Old Bailey heard.

Police arrested care-in-the-community patient Neil James, 36, when he was seen smashing up an Austin Maestro with a baseball bat.

But when officers arrived at Gifford Gardens, Hanwell, Middsx, James confessed to killing neighbour Margaret Haigh, 52, whose corpse was found lying in her room.

James told detectives he had to kill her as she was a Nazi and had written Mein Kampf – in reality written by genocidal German leader Adolph Hitler while in jail.

He also claimed his name was Charles Windsor, the prophet Moses, Solomon and a Nazi whose name was Morovici.

Bruce Houlder, QC, told the court that James was a very sick man whom a jury has already decided was unfit to stand trial.

The night before James alerted police to his car-wrecking frenzy, a neighbour heard a muffled scream coming from the direction of Miss Haigh’s house.

This was believed to be Miss Haigh’s final cry as she was slaughtered.

The next day James started smashing up an Austin Maestro with a baseball bat, shouting: ‘Come on, come on, come and get me.

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When police arrived James strolled out of Miss Haigh’s flat and told officers he had killed her.

‘Police entered the flat which was in complete chaos,’ continued Mr Houlder.

‘In the middle of the chaos was Miss Haigh with her head beaten in.

Underneath Miss Haigh’s body was found a bloody knife.

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The court heard that James lived upstairs from Mrs Haigh and they shared a common entrance.

James told police he had killed her because she had joined the Nazi party, and that she had written Mein Kampf.

‘I expect you all know that was written by Hitler and not this defendant,’ Mr Houlder said.

James later went on to say that HE himself was a Nazi, whose name was Marovici.

He also signed admissions to the killing in the names of Prince Charles, Moses, and Solomon.

Miss Haigh was also a schizophrenic whose condition was improving, the court heard.

But in the weeks before her death she told her friends she was becoming increasingly concerned about the behaviours of this defendant,’ Mr Houlder said.

Her condition meant that Miss Haigh would have noticed better than most the signs of James’ deteriorating state.

This may have been due to him not taking his medication, Mr Houlder said.

Miss Haigh was unmarried and one of three sisters and grew up in Southall.

She was a regular worshipper at St John’s Church in Church Avenue, Southall.

Miss Haigh also served on the Ealing Deanery Synod.

After a very short trial this morning a jury decided that James, suffering from a schizo-effective disorder, is unfit to stand trial.

Mr Houlder told a second jury that James’s defence team accept that he did indeed murder Miss Haigh.

But it is for jury to formally return a verdict against James, of (90) Gifford Gardens, Hanwell, who is accused of the murder of Miss Haigh on February 1 this year.

The trial continues tomorrow.

(thurs)
ends