Man who killed partner said God told him to do it

A man who killed his long-term partner called 999 and told the operator God was telling him to do it, Nottingham Crown Court was told on Friday.

Yusaf Mohammed, 66, of Millgate, Newark, has denied murdering Karen Jacquet but admits manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

Police were called to their home on the afternoon of August 16 and found 59-year-old

Karen, a former foster carer, dead at the scene.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Philip Joseph said Mohammed had been suffering from a depressive episode.

“This depressive illness pushed him over,” he said.

“His thinking was impaired and his ability to exercise self control.”

Dr Joseph said the level of depression was moderate but was sufficient to reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter.

He said when he asked Mohammed about his reference to God in the 999 call he said he may have been referring to a suggestion that it was God’s will.

Dr Joseph said Mohammed was on suicide watch when he was first admitted to prison, and was prescribed anti-depression medication. When Dr Joseph saw Mohammed in February he was a lot calmer.

Dr Joseph said Mohammed became distressed and tearful when talking about Karen but was no longer on suicide watch.

Dr Joseph said the risk of suicide could never be ruled out but it could be managed in a prison environment.

He said in his opinion there was no need for Mohammed to be in hospital and found it difficult to detain him there on medical need.

Dr Joseph said if Mohammed was sent to hospital he would be entitled to apply to a mental health tribunal after 12 months and so could be discharged in a year or two.

Psychiatrist Dr Michaela Gilbert said Mohammed had suffered a gradual decline in mood about a year before the offence.

She said based on his symptoms at the time — not leaving the house, weight loss and the fact he had stopped caring for himself — he was suffering from severe depression.

Dr Gilbert thought Moham-med needed psychiatric expertise and should be sent to detention in hospital with a restriction order.

“A hospital order can gradually reduce the level of security and gauge the level of risk,” she said.

Dr Gilbert said it was difficult to predict how long Mohammed would need to be in hospital but said she expected it to be two years before he was considered suitable for discharge, depending on how he was responding to treatment.

Dr Gilbert said that if Mohammed had believed God told him to do the killing it was evidence of a psychotic disorder.

“Based on the evidence I can’t exclude psychosis but I can’t say definitely it was,” she said.

The case was further adjourned until August 17.