A “MANIPULATIVE and abusive” man who “ambushed” his ex-girlfriend and stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife after she ended their relationship has been handed a life sentence.

Paul Crowther, 36, of Elm Way, Birstall, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of “talented” university student Bethany Fields, of Bramley, after being diagnosed with schizophrenia following her death.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC described Crowther as a “very dangerous man indeed” as he ordered him to be detained in hospital as part of his minimum sentence of 12 years.

Judge Bayliss told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that Miss Fields described the defendant as “manipulative, abusive and controlling”.

He said: “She told police that the abuse, which was initially low key, began to intensify.”

The court heard that Crowther had suffered from mental health issues for a number of years and had been detained in hospital several times.

Judge Bayliss said: “Bethany Fields did what she could to help him with his mental health issues but it all became too much for her to cope with and she ended their relationship.”

The court heard that, following the split, Crowther saw the psychiatric liaison team at Dewsbury District Hospital on three occasions, where he said he wanted to attack others and kill himself, but was not detained.

He sent a “constant” barrage of abuse and threats to Miss Fields and others, and the 21-year-old environmental geography student reported Crowther’s behaviour to police.

Judge Bayliss said she told police: “’He has an obsession with killing someone and what it would feel like. I genuinely don’t know what to do. I am scared.

“’All I want,’ said Bethany Fields on 19 August, ‘is for him to leave me alone’.”

The court heard that Miss Fields worked for an organisation that provided music therapy for people with disabilities and was hosting an event at a pub in Huddersfield on September 12.

Judge Bayliss said: “It was there that you, Paul Crowther, ambushed her, attacked her with a knife and then repeatedly stabbed her as she lay prone on the floor, ending her young life.”

The judge said the attack was captured on CCTV.

He said: “It shows a targeted and sustained attack."

Miss Fields was pronounced dead despite attempts by her friends and passers-by to save her life.

Crowther tried to get away from police on the motorway before leaving his car on a bridge and climbing over railings while holding a knife to his throat.

He was later taken to hospital and then to the police station, where he held conversations with himself and referred to a voice in his head he called “Osiris”, which he claimed told him to carry out the attack. He refused to answer questions during interview and claimed he had amnesia about killing Miss Fields.

Judge Bayliss said he accepted that Crowther’s decision to kill Miss Fields was driven by his condition, but he rejected the suggestion that he was in a “state of altered awareness” at the time, describing his actions as “entirely rational”.

He said: “I am quite sure that you knew perfectly well what you were doing. You may have amnesia for what you have done. But you knew what you were doing.”

He added: “You are, Paul Crowther, I am sorry to say, a very dangerous man.”