Multiple killer Daniel Gonzalez tried to bite himself to death while in Broadmoor high security psychiatric hospital, a court heard.

Broadmoor psychiatric consultant Dr Edward Petch told jurors: "I have never seen anyone bite themself with that ferocity.

"A number of staff described it as a clear attempt to die.

"I think we felt that given his history, at that moment he was genuinely trying to kill himself.

"He felt his was a job not complete.

"He allegedly had killed four people and tried to kill six and we all felt there was one more left - and that was himself - and he would not stop until he had succeeded."

Dr Petch was giving evidence for the defence in Gonzalez's trial for the murder of Brighton and Hove Albion ticket seller Marie Harding.

Gonzalez stabbed Mrs Harding to death near her home in Southwick before killing another man in London and a couple at their home, also in the capital.

The prosecution allege that he wanted to be a famous serial killer and "kill at least ten people" in a campaign of murder stretching from Sussex to London.

The defence accept Gonzalez killed each of his four victims.

But they claim he was suffering from auditory hallucination - voices commanding him to kill - which diminished his responsibility and meant he was guilty of the manslaughter and not the murder.

Dr Petch said Gonzalez had bitten his arm on two later occasions.

Hospital staff had intervened.

Dr Petch said that when Gonzalez first arrived at Broadmoor for assessment in October 2004 - the month after his arrest - "he was accompanied by an unusually large number of prison officers.

"I have never seen quite as many. All were in riot gear which was unusual.

"He was immediately placed on constant observation by nursing staff.

"We thought a minimum of two were required all the time to be within arm's length.

"That was the case for 18 months. That is very, very unusual. Within Broadmoor I have never seen anything like it."

Gonzalez, 25, who lives with his mother in Woking, Surrey, has denied murdering all four victims.

He has admitted the attempted murder of two people he also attacked who survived, the court heard. The trial continues.