A man stabbed his partner 177 times with a kitchen knife before dialling 999 and telling the operator, "I've just committed a murder," a jury heard today (Wednesday).

Police raced to the home he shared with Kim Butler in Saundersfoot and found her already dead and with the knife still in her neck.

Arthur Pitt-Pladdy, aged 36, admits manslaughter but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to mental illness.

Paul Thomas QC, prosecuting at Swansea crown court, told the jury that although Mr Pitt-Pladdy may have been addicted to heroin and alcohol he was sufficiently in control when he attacked Ms Butler.

He said Mr Pitt-Pladdy met Ms Butler, aged 44, through a mutual friend after being released from jail and went to live with her at her flat in Pennant Avenue, Saundersfoot.

He was later to tell police "she was not really my cup of tea" and that he used their relationship, which became sexual, to get a roof over his head.

Mr Thomas said Mr Pitt-Pladdy was abusive to her when in drink and only a week before her death Ms Butler had told friends he had threatened to kill her and her pet Labrador.

On August 12 last year he drank Jack Daniels and coke at the Captain's Table pub in Saundersfoot before making his way home.

Mr Thomas said only he knew what happened later but the occupant of the flat immediately upstairs woke about 3.15am the following morning to hear noises from downstairs.

She heard Ms Butler say "sorry" three times in succession, in what appeared to be a frightened voice. She also heard "thumping" noises and a short while later Ms Butler again saying "sorry."

"You can imagine how long it would take to inflict one hundred and seventy seven stab and slash wounds," said Mr Thomas.

Mr Pitt-Pladdy walked to a nearby telephone kiosk and dialled 999. The jury heard the transcript played: P-P:"I've just committed a murder. Arthur Pitt hyphen Pladdy 35 Pennant Avenue Saundersfoot."

Operator, "Is that where it happened?"

P-P:"Yes."

Operator, "Who have you killed?"

P-P:"My missus."

Operator, "You've killed your wife?"

P-P:"Yes. I stabbed her a few times and left the knife in her neck."

Operator, "I'm going to get the police to your home address. Stay where you are. Stay in the 'phone box."

Police Constables Richard James and Alex Jones arrived to find him still there drinking from a can of Special Brew.

Mr Thomas said the call, during which the defendant had even remembered to hyphenate his name, showed he was in control.

And statements he made after his arrest, showed that Mr Pitt-Pladdy had "strong recall" of what had happened.

In police interviews, and in prepared statements submitted to the police, he was able to explain what had happened, added the prosecutor.

In one statement he said she had been nagging him and slapping him.

And in a letter to a friend written five days later, while Mr Pitt-Pladdy was on remand at Swansea prison charged with murder, he wrote, "I've been a purely evil bastard and now I'm going to pay for it for years. Please ask God to forgive me. I'm just saying sorry to everyone "I didn't just stab the poor girl once. I stabbed her a hundred times."

Mr Thomas told the jury, "He says he had alcohol dependency syndrome and that it represented such an abnormality of mind to substantially impair his responsibility," said Mr Thomas.

"The prosecution says he was not suffering from a sufficient impairment of the mind.

"He had a drink problem but there is no evidence that it added up to an abnormality."

The case continues.