A man killed four people in a bid to carry out a "campaign of murder" and become a famous serial killer, the Old Bailey has been told.
Daniel Gonzalez, 25, from Woking, Surrey set out to murder at least 10 people in an area stretching from the south coast to London, the court heard.
Mr Gonzalez denies murdering Jean and Derek Robinson, Kevin Molloy and Marie Harding over three days in 2004.
The defence accepts he was the killer on grounds of diminished responsibility
Mr Gonzales was arrested in central London on the third day of his killing spree.
"By then he had attacked six people in five separate incidents - four of his six victims had died," prosecutor Richard Horwell told the jury on Tuesday.
"When later interviewed, he said that he had wanted to murder at least 10 victims and thereby become a renowned serial killer."
Mr Horwell said Mr Gonzalez was armed with a knife on each occasion.
"The two survivors owed their lives to a combination of chance and an opportunity to defend themselves."
Manslaughter verdicts
Mr Horwell said the defence accepted that Gonzalez was the killer on each occasion.
"Scientific evidence proves beyond doubt that on each occasion Gonzalez was the knifeman," he said.
The defence wanted verdicts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but this was not acceptable to the prosecution.
Mr Horwell said Mr Gonzalez had claimed he was acting under the control and command of voices telling him to kill.
"The details not only change from claim to claim but Gonzalez has in the past accepted that he has deliberately fabricated symptoms of a mental illness in order to avoid being sent to prison," he said.
"We suggest the defendant is both untruthful and manipulative."
The trial continues.
(BBC)
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