Suzanne Brown killing: Man stabbed partner 173 times

Suzanne Brown was stabbed 173 times and struck with a vase

The mother of a man accused of stabbing his partner 173 times had warned police to check on them hours before, a court has heard.

Jake Neate, 37, is accused of the "frenzied attack" on Suzanne Brown, at their Essex home on 16 December 2017.

Miss Brown, 34, died at the scene, in Mountbatten Court, Braintree.

Janet Neate said her son, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was a "delicate soul" but had recently come off his medication.

He has been found unfit to stand trial.

A murder trial is being held at Chelmsford Crown Court but Mr Neate, who remains in a psychiatric hospital, has not entered a plea and cannot attend.

He told police he had killed Miss Brown when they found him covered in blood and wearing only his boxer shorts and socks, the jury heard.

'Medication withdrawal'

In a statement to the court Janet Neate said her son, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, had come off his medication a few months before the killing due to health risks and she had asked for him to be treated in hospital during the withdrawal.

She said: "I believe if his medication withdrawal had been managed properly Sue would still be with us. Jake had never been violent before and he is or was a delicate soul."

The jury was played Mrs Neate's call to Essex Police raising her fears for Miss Brown's safety after her son's girlfriend had rung her to say Mr Neate was hurting her before the phone call was cut off.

Mrs Neate, who was travelling in Spain at the time, said she had called Braintree Police Station at 21:20 GMT, having initially tried Mr Neate's mental health team, but after her husband called an hour and a half later officers had still not attended the property.

She had initially called Mr Neate's social worker but did not receive an answer before trying the local mental health crisis team who had told her they were unable to help, the jury heard.