A Greenhithe man accused of attempted murder in Orpington was found “muttering” about the devil after the attack – and had been discharged from a mental health unit that day, a court heard.

Wayne Murley, also known as Wayne Price, appeared at Croydon Crown Court yesterday after a stabbing in Chipperfield Road, St Paul’s Cray, at about 6pm on October 10 last year.

The court was told police found Murley in a distressed state barricaded in the bedroom, with blood on the bed and ceiling, while a 23-year-old man with severe stab wounds was found on a grass verge near the house.

The extent of the stabbing meant the victim, Ryan Anderson, had to have his gall bladder and kidney removed.

Giving evidence in court, Police Constable Jane Cottrell, of Bromley Police, who was first on the scene, said: “He was standing on the bed, he had the hammer in his hand.

“When I was talking to him he was listening to everything I was saying and then we would jump to talking about the devil.

“He started saying he was going to save me if I would save him and muttering about the devil, that the devil was coming to get him and get me.

“He said ‘they brought me here to kill me’.”

Two days before the alleged attack Murley had been found walking by railway tracks.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley told the court he was paranoid and “thought he was being chased by people”.

He was assessed by Oxleas mental health service at Littlebrook Hospital in Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford and was discharged on October 10.

Mr Anderson was found with stab wounds to his arms, armpit and both legs.

The worst injuries were two stab wounds to his abdomen, one 10cm deep and the other 20cm deep.

The deeper cut, 10cm above his belly button, cut into his colon, and was one to two centimetres away from hitting the main vein in the body.

He was treated at the scene by police officers and an off-duty member of the London Ambulance Service (LAS) on his way to work.

The LAS was called to the scene and took the victim to King’s College Hospital, where he had an emergency operation to remove a kidney and his gall bladder.

The trial continues.