A MAN accused of murdering a charity worker has mental health problems that made him think aliens were communicating with him, a jury has heard.Paul Waters, 29, who stands accused of murdering 34-year-old Nicola West, also admitted believing God was speaking to him through a television set and that he could save the world.

Neil Puffett

A MAN accused of murdering a charity worker has mental health problems that made him think aliens were communicating with him, a jury has heard.

Paul Waters, 29, who stands accused of murdering 34-year-old Nicola West, also admitted believing God was speaking to him through a television set and that he could save the world.

However, facing cross-examination at Ipswich Crown Court today from Martyn Levett, co-defendant Robert McCarry's defence lawyer, Waters said his mental issues did not cloud his version that McCarry killed Miss West on purpose.

Mr Levett suggested that following the death of Miss West, Waters' mental health would have suffered as he had been without medication for two days.

Mr Levett said: “You told police that you go 'loopy' if you don't have your medication.

“You said you hadn't taken medication for two days and as a result of that you no doubt would be feeling that these thoughts were coming over you again.”

He also accused Waters of fabricating his account because he feared nobody would believe the real course of events - that Miss West's death was an accident.

Waters denied that he would have been affected saying he was “very ill” at the time of his delusions which were prior to him being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“It is five to six weeks without taking medication that I start hearing and seeing things,” he said.

Waters claims that McCarry told him he had to kill Miss West because he had “robbed her of five grand”.

McCarry then strangled Nicola West with her bra before telling Waters to drive to Exmoor so they could bury her body, he claimed.

McCarry, 37 of Vernon Street, Ipswich, and Waters, of Sandpiper Road, Ipswich, both deny murdering Miss West, of Leather Bottle Hill, Little Blakenham.

McCarry has denied raping Miss West in a car near the dry ski slope at Wherstead and Waters has denied attempting to rape Miss West and aiding and abetting McCarry to rape her.

Both men have denied perverting the course of justice and McCarry has denied conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

McCarry had denied a further offence of raping Miss West on the night of her death but the jury have been directed to return a not guilty verdict due to insufficient evidence.

It has been alleged that on February 8 last year McCarry and Miss West had been driven to an area near the dry ski slope at Wherstead by Waters where Waters allegedly tried to rape her and McCarry allegedly raped and strangled her.

The men had then driven around for two days with Miss West's body in the boot of Waters' Ford Fiesta before handing themselves into police.

Giving evidence, McCarry claimed that Miss West had encouraged him to strangle her during sex to heighten her pleasure.

The trial continues.