UPDATE: |Man told aunt ‘sorry but you are going to have to die tonight’ before repeatedly stabbing her, attempted murder trial hears News

Adrian Smith denies attempted murder

A man told his aunt ‘sorry but you are going to have to die tonight’ before repeatedly stabbing her, prosecutors allege.

Adrian Smith, 28, is accused of attempting to murder his mother’s sister after claiming he heard a ‘demonic voice’ telling him ‘you need to kill Zara or I’m going to kill you’. He denies the offence and is on trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Jurors heard that over the last few years, Mr Smith’s mental health had deteriorated. His aunt, Zara Smith, described to the court of a ‘spiral of deterioration’ as he found it hard to live

independently and ultimately became homeless after struggling to hold down a job.

“The defendant’s mental health deteriorated to the extent that earlier in 2024 he was detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act. In February 2024, he was detained after he attended at his family’s home with a can of petrol making threats to burn the house down,” prosecutor Mark Kellet said.

“In April 2024, he was detained again after he had been apprehended by the police on the M60, following calls about a man walking in the third lane of the motorway.”

Other members of his family, including his sister, also voiced their concerns about him, stating he was ‘failed by mental health services’.

“After each occasion that he was detained, he was discharged without any accommodation,” said Mr Kellet.

On June 27, the day before, he went to visit his aunt. He talked about settling down and starting a family, before reporting hearing voices, saying: “People on the streets of Manchester telling me to do things.”

He also said the voices were telling him to ‘kill his mum and dad’, with his aunt describing that he ‘did not appear normal’, prosecutors allege.

“She was also concerned that the defendant had been using illegal drugs. In the past he had told her that he had used cannabis, cocaine and crack cocaine. Obviously, she was concerned about him using harmful drugs,” Mr Kellet added.

Zara Smith contacted the doctor to report her concerns and was told that her nephew would have to see the doctor in person. But Mr Smith had already left her home and she didn’t see him until the following night, the court heard.

The court heard that on June 28, at around 9.30pm, Mr Smith’s mum and her partner returned home to find her son there, reporting her as ‘missing’ to the police and in a distressed state.

At one stage, when he was on his way out of the house to smoke a cigarette, he got close to her and moved towards her as if he was going to ‘bite her’, it was said.

His mum then rang her sister, Zara Smith, to ask for her help, who in turn told her to call the police. When she arrived at Grosvenor Road in Hyde, she went into the house with the police, and asked Mr Smith about biting his mother, jurors heard.

He told her: “I was cold and my teeth were chattering, that’s all.” Zara Smith told officers that her nephew needed to be sectioned, at which they said an ambulance was on its way but would take some time, the court was told.

“The two officers said that they were of the view that because the defendant had not committed an arrestable offence, they had no power to detain him,” the prosecutor said.

“Zara explained about the defendant’s behaviour the previous day. The police asked if Zara was “okay” waiting with the defendant, and Zara agreed that she would.”

Jurors were told that Mr Smith then got up from the sofa, closed the curtains and said: “I’m just making it a bit cosier so no one can see in.” He then said: “I’m going for a smoke and then you’re done.”

His aunt made an excuse to leave the house, but as she moved he returned and appeared to be holding a knife. He told her: “Sorry, but you are going to have to die tonight,” the court heard.

Mr Smith then ‘lunged’ at her, stabbing her to the left shoulder. She screamed for help which he told her: “Shut the f*** up, you’re going to die tonight” and “Just f***ing lie there and bleed out.”

Zara Smith told jurors in evidence that it was like something out of a horror movie and he looked ‘pure evil’. During the attack he stabbed her to the chest, and attempted to ‘slice her throat’ as she went for the front door, it was said.

Mr Kellet continued: “She grabbed the knife which fell to the floor. She says that Adrian backed away from her, saying ‘Just be quiet. Just lie there and die. Let yourself bleed out.”

He added that the defendant allegedly claimed he was going to tell the police that she was trying to kill him instead.

Police arrived moments later and Mr Smith was arrested. Zara Smith was left with numerous injuries including a stab wound to her sternum, a stab wound to each breast and two stab wounds to her left arm.

The court heard that Mr Smith, of no fixed abode, accepts stabbing his aunt and has previously pleaded guilty to causing wounding with intent. He denies attempted murder.

The trial continues