THE jury have been sent out to decide if the man accused of manslaughter after an incident in Westbourne in June last year was insane at the time of the killing.

Giuseppe Vittorio Zerega is accused of manslaughter in relation to the death of Fabio Menegon in Eldon Place in the early hours of June 19 last year.

The 31-year-old also faces two charges of attempted murder.

At the time of the incident, Zerega was suffering from significant mental illness which affected his ability to think clearly.

The prosecution say he was not criminally insane as he told the victims “I am going to kill you”, showing he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Defence counsel Alisdair Williamson QC delivered his closing speech to the jury at Winchester Crown Court on Tuesday.

Mr Williamson said: “Psychosis is when you no longer know what is real. Imagine for a moment how terrifying that is, to lose your mind.

“Your task is to consider whether it’s more likely than not that Mr Zerega did not know what he was doing was wrong.”

Footage shown from police’s body worn camera moments after the incident showed Zerega shouting for help and asking if he was real.

“He is a mind completely unhinged”, Mr Williamson continued.

The court heard how two psychiatrists agreed this case fell “just over the line” of criminal insanity. However, one, Dr John Sandford, believed Zerega did know what he was doing was wrong, as he didn’t ask for help, said he was going to kill his victims and believed Mr Menegon was in the Mafia.

Mr Williamson said Dr Sandford did not consider all the evidence, for example that Zerega called 999 asking for help before the stabbing, that he was calling for help after, and that he said he was going to kill them “to save them”.

He also said that Zergea did not mention the Mafia during the evening of June 19 and the fact that he had also referred to himself as Jesus and put toothpaste on his rings because someone had “put a hex on him” showed he did not kill Mr Menegon because he thought he was in the Mafia.

He also believed he had bombs in his fingers, the court heard.

Mr Williamson added: “Look at that footage, is there any other verdict that is possible other than ‘what I am looking at is a man who is criminally insane’?

“He will live for the rest of his life that out of nowhere he lost his mind and, in that illness, something horrific happened. He will never escape that lurking fear.

“Not guilty by reason of insanity.”

Summing up the trial, Judge Justice Mrs Jennifer Eady DBE told jurors the expert witnesses agreed Zerega did know the quality of the act, in stabbing Mr Menegon to death and attacking two others, but disagreed on whether he knew it was wrong.

She said if the jury felt, on the balance of probabilities, Zerega didn’t know it was wrong, they would return a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Zerega, who was living in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, at the time, denies all charges. The trial continues.