A jealous ex-boyfriend cut his partner's throat after stalking her on the internet with a fake Facebook account, a court heard today (Thursday).

Clifford Mills, 49, set up a bogus profile under the name 'Charlie Manning' while bombarding Lorna Smith, 45, of Hewitt Close, Shirley, with texts and calls after she broke off their four-year relationship, it was said.

The pair remained close friends even after splitting up but the former doorman became envious when she began seeing another man, the Old Bailey heard.

Her bloodied corpse was found slumped on a sofa in the living room of his south London flat, with a plastic bag tied round her head and Oasis track 'Stop the Clocks' playing on continuous repeat.

Two police officers had earlier knocked on the door after Ms Smith was reported missing by her worried boyfriend, but left after there was no answer, the court heard.

"This is case of murderous jealousy," said Zoe Johnson, prosecuting, adding that Mills had taken two bags of clothes with him as he fled the scene.

"'This was a planned killing," she told jurors. "The two bags full of his belongings were clearly "going away" bags.

"There simply would not have been time to collect all the carefully-chosen items in two bags after the murder.

"Furthermore, the defendant made a series of rational decisions - getting on and off various tubes and buses."

Police found the body of Ms Smith after breaking into the flat in Morrish Road, Brixton, at around 5.23am on February 3 last year.

She is believed to have arrived at the property at around 3pm the previous day after agreeing to help Mills with some paperwork relating to an ongoing court case.

A neighbour reported hearing a woman screaming around 25 minutes later and

Footage from a CCTV camera in nearby Streatham Place captured Mills, carrying two bags, just moments later.

"The murder has been committed by now," said Ms Johnson.

"The body of Lorna Smith is lying inside the flat."

Records then traced his travels via bus and tube to Chelsea, and then Hammersmith, where he left the bags in the basement of a block of flats.

He later went drinking in Soho before handing himself in at St Thomas' Hospital's casualty department at around 5am and announcing that he was a psychiatric patient.

Mills is said to have told the receptionist: "I need to see someone, I really need to speak to someone - once I've told you what I've done you're going to have to call the police."

Ms Johnson added: "He told the receptionist he had killed, and I quote, "the love of my life".

"He said "Stan has killed Lorna, you need to call the police. I love her, Stan hates her - he killed her."

"When asked who Stan was, the defendant replied "Stan is in my head".

"He said: "Stan took a knife to her throat"."

Mills began dating his victim in 2002, but Ms Smith ended the relationship in 2006, the court heard.

Despite the break-up, Mills continued to live at her flat in Hewitt Close until finally moving out in 2008.

At the time of her death she had been in a relationship with a new boyfriend since October 2010.

Wearing a grey 'Incredible Hulk' t-shirt, Mills, of Morrish Road, Brixton, has been allowed to sit in the well of the court as he now uses a wheelchair.

He denies murder but admits manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, claiming that he suffered from a borderline personality disorder.

The trial continues

Update: Clifford Mills jailed for life, with a minimum of 21 years, for murdering Lorna