KILLER Gareth Horton travelled to London to say farewell to the girl he was obsessed with before he committed suicide, a murder trial was told.

And his mother told the Old Bailey jury about the moment her son rang home to say: "I've killed her."

Horton, 29, of Walmsley Street, Darwen, has denied murdering Charlotte Flanagan after a New Year's Eve Vicars and Tarts party at the Barley Mow pub in London.

Charlotte, a popular girl who had spent time working with children in Clitheroe, had left home in Darwen for a year out before beginning a nursing course.

The jury at the Old Bailey has been told the major issue in the case is whether Horton was acting with diminished responsibility.

Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Paul Cantrall said that Horton had been diagnosed as a 'moderate depressive' last year by two doctors in Blackburn.

Mr Cantrall told the court that Horton had also suffered from low self-esteem, which was probably caused by the fact he was bullied from the start of high school in Darwen and had had few friends since.

Horton had bonded with Charlotte because they had both suffered from depression, and she became his best friend because he felt he could confide in her, Mr Cantrall said.

He added that Horton had told him he had no sexual feelings for Charlotte, but added that people with low self-esteem often refused to accept they could be attracted to someone for fear of rejection.

He said Horton had become depressed towards the end of last year, and intended his visit to London to be a chance to say farewell to Charlotte before killing himself.

On the night of the killing, Horton said he had been happy but had felt a cloud gather over him in the evening, the court heard. He told Mr Cantrall that he remembered seeing Charlotte go upstairs to her room just after midnight.

Mr Cantrall said Horton had no recollection of what happened next but remembers finding himself in Charlotte's room.

"She was lying on the bed and there was a lot of blood about," he said. "Mr Horton said he felt he just had to go."

Charlotte and Horton became friends while working for Blackburn with Darwen Council's social services department and he moved into her house in Walmsley Street to help her pay the mortgage.

In a statement read out in court, Horton's mother Eileen said the her son had travelled to London on December 24 to spend Christmas with Charlotte.

Mrs Horton said she spoke to her son twice on New Year's Eve and said he sounded happy but maybe a bit drunk.

Then, at 3.15am, he rang her again and told her: "Mum, I've killed Charlotte. "He sounded very cold and sober." Mrs Horton said her son repeated what he had done and said he was going to kill himself. She said her husband, Richard, dialled '1471' on the phone when their son had hung up then contacted police in Blackburn to say what was happening.

(Proceeding)