Stonebridge man claims an evil spirit ordered him to kill young Cricklewood mother
Prosecutors claim former church deacon murdered his ex-girlfriend in a jealous rage
A former church deacon who has admitted killing his ex-partner claims he was ordered to do it by an evil spirit called Joseph.
Ezekiel Foster, 43, of Twybridge Way, Stonebridge, knifed 24-year-old Sashana Roberts at least 11 times before dumping her body in the bath of her flat in Ivy Road, Cricklewood, on September 12 last year.
The Old Bailey heard claims from prosecutors that he carried out the killing in a jealous rage after he caught Miss Roberts in bed with another man.
Foster admits manslaughter, claiming he suffers from a mental illness which affected his ability to control his actions, but denies murder.
Giving evidence at the Old Bailey, Foster said he had started hearing voices in his head while he was on the run from police in around 2009.
He skipped bail after he was told he was facing a jail for shoplifting because of his previous convictions, which include battering his late wife Anne-Marie in a row over car keys and assaulting another lover.
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He was eventually arrested and sent to prison for four months.
Anne-Marie died in 2009 from a terminal muscle-wasting disease.
Foster said: “Joseph was the main one.
“Sometimes I tried to cast them out but as I’m not living for God I can’t cast them out.
“I lost my faith in God to a degree when my wife passed. I felt comforted by the spirits because they were my friends.”
He said he had attended a mental health clinic in Kilburn, but had never received any medication for his condition.
Asked about his motivation for the killing, he replied: “The spirit said to do it.”
“I have no recollection of these things.”
Foster also claimed he had no recollection of changing into clean clothes after the attack.
The trial continues.
