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| Obsession 'fuelled stab murder' | Obsession 'fuelled stab murder' |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| A German man stabbed a student to death after becoming obsessed with his girlfriend through an internet gaming site, Nottingham Crown Court has heard. | A German man stabbed a student to death after becoming obsessed with his girlfriend through an internet gaming site, Nottingham Crown Court has heard. |
| David Heiss stabbed Matthew Pyke 86 times in a "savage and sustained" attack at his flat, jurors were told. | David Heiss stabbed Matthew Pyke 86 times in a "savage and sustained" attack at his flat, jurors were told. |
| The court heard Mr Heiss began stalking Joanna Witton through the site which was run from the Nottingham flat. | The court heard Mr Heiss began stalking Joanna Witton through the site which was run from the Nottingham flat. |
| Mr Heiss, 21, of Limburg, near Frankfurt, denies murdering Mr Pyke, 20, on 19 September last year. | Mr Heiss, 21, of Limburg, near Frankfurt, denies murdering Mr Pyke, 20, on 19 September last year. |
| Mr Pyke, originally from Stowmarket in Suffolk, ran a web forum for a computer game and had been due to start a degree course at Nottingham Trent University. | Mr Pyke, originally from Stowmarket in Suffolk, ran a web forum for a computer game and had been due to start a degree course at Nottingham Trent University. |
| Violent act | Violent act |
| Shaun Smith QC, prosecuting, said Mr Pyke was killed in a "cold, calculated and pre-meditated attack". | Shaun Smith QC, prosecuting, said Mr Pyke was killed in a "cold, calculated and pre-meditated attack". |
| He said: "It was an act that was born out of obsession and hatred in equal measure. | He said: "It was an act that was born out of obsession and hatred in equal measure. |
| "It was obsession for Joanna Witton, who was Matthew's girlfriend and who had been Matthew's girlfriend for some time, and hatred for Matthew, because he was Joanna's boyfriend." | "It was obsession for Joanna Witton, who was Matthew's girlfriend and who had been Matthew's girlfriend for some time, and hatred for Matthew, because he was Joanna's boyfriend." |
| He added: "It was a savage and sustained act, which didn't involve one or two acts of violence - it involved 86. | He added: "It was a savage and sustained act, which didn't involve one or two acts of violence - it involved 86. |
| "That is how many times this defendant stabbed Matthew Pyke." | "That is how many times this defendant stabbed Matthew Pyke." |
| The court heard Mr Heiss had told Ms Witton that he would come to Nottingham to stab himself in front of her. | |
| When giving evidence, Ms Witton said: "I did not know what he would be capable of doing." | |
| Hit list | Hit list |
| The court heard that Mr Pyke and Ms Witton met through a website in 2005 and began living together when they moved to Nottingham. | The court heard that Mr Pyke and Ms Witton met through a website in 2005 and began living together when they moved to Nottingham. |
| Mr Heiss began to contact Ms Witton in March last year, telling her that he had a crush on her. | |
| He used social networking sites to monitor Ms Witton, the jury was told, and his messages to her became more intimate and bizarre, including confessions of love. | He used social networking sites to monitor Ms Witton, the jury was told, and his messages to her became more intimate and bizarre, including confessions of love. |
| Mr Smith said Mr Heiss was not put off when told Ms Witton was in a relationship and in fact created a list of people he wanted to "erase". | |
| At the top of that list was Mr Pyke, he said. | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |