A deaf man was murdered in his bed by a jealous love rival who had repeatedly threatened to kill him and his girlfriend, a jury was told.
Christopher Penman, 58, pictured below, had earlier complained to the police that he was being stalked by his girlfriend's former partner, Awat Akram.
While the girlfriend, Elaine Bourke, was placed in a safe hostel, the same protection was not given to Mr Penman, Leicester Crown Court was told.
After staying away from his home in Somerville Walk, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, for 10 days, Mr Penman "fatefully" returned home alone on the night of February 21.
He visited a neighbour's house, then called police after spotting Akram standing outside his house, at about 10pm.
Akram, who is also deaf, had left by the time officers arrived, half an hour later.
Mr Penman was safely escorted by three officers to his home at 12.42am.
Within a few hours, he was dead.
Akram (26), of Beaumanor Road, Leicester, allegedly returned to the scene with a "murderer's kit bag" and broke in some time after 3.50am to stab Mr Penman to death.
Yesterday, the court heard after allegedly fatally knifing Mr Penman, the defendant went home and watched pornography on his computer.
Mr Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting, claimed Akram had committed the killing in "a jealous rage".
Akram was said to have started a relationship with Ms Bourke, who is deaf and in her late 40s, in 2012.
At some stage during their "stormy" relationship" they went through a religious ceremony in a mosque and Akram considered her to be his wife.
He allegedly could not accept it when she left him for her ex-partner Mr Penman, whom she had known on and off for 12 years.
Akram, an Iraqi national, denies murder.
In his opening address to the jury, Mr Spencer said: "In the early hours of February 22, Christopher Penman was stabbed to death in his own bed, in his own home.
"He was stabbed by this defendant who was consumed by a jealous rage, arising out of the relationship that both men had with the same woman."
He said he would allegedly stand outside Mr Penman's house and knock on the door demanding his "wife" return.
Repeated threats, using sign language, to stab the couple to death, and then himself, were allegedly made.
Hundreds of text messages and missed calls were sent to Mr Penman, resulting in the couple contacting the police and fleeing to stay in a hotel in Loughborough, on February 10.
On February 18, they made a detailed statement to the police describing Akram as "really, really angry" and saying how scared they were.
On February 20, Ms Bourke was moved to a "safe" hostel in Nottingham, but the rules only allowed for Mr Penman to stay one night – after which he went home.
Akram allegedly took the couple's disappearance badly, and in the 11 days leading up to the killing, made a further "barrage" of calls and texts to Mr Penman on 1,626 occasions.
The jury was shown CCTV footage plotting the alleged killer's route.
It showed a man in a hoodie pulled up to disguise his features, carrying a bag, making his way from Abbey Lane, near Akram's home, to the murder scene in Somerfield Walk, between 3.19am and 3.50am on February 22.
Mr Spencer said: "That is the killer and the important issue is, is that Awat Akram?
"The defence say it's not him.
"He has his murderer's kit with him. It has, we suggest, a knife.
"There's premeditation and the weapon had been selected. It will probably have gloves and a change of clothing.
"It's going to be a bloody murder and he will need to get rid of his clothing and there may be footwear as well.
"We see the killer walking across Leicester. The prosecution say who else can it be?"
At 3.50am, the killer is seen turning on to the path leading to the alleged victim's home.
Mr Spencer said: "Then there's exactly an hour's gap and it's within that gap we say Mr Penman was murdered.
"The house was broken into in a noisy way. The patio doors were simply smashed and it must have made a pretty loud crashing noise – but that doesn't alert a deaf man asleep.
"He must have known he was breaking into the home of a deaf man as there was no risk of alerting him."
Sign language interpreters have been translating the proceedings.
The prosecuting opening speech continues today.
