A 34-YEAR-OLD man with a history of violence towards former girlfriends will be jailed for life today after he admitted murdering a Huddersfield mother-of- four.

Theresa Simpson, 35, suffered a fatal knife wound to her heart in a violent confrontation with Paul Walton at her home at Roundway, Honley, last June.

The shocking attack was discovered by one of her teenage daughters.

A court heard yesterday how Walton then chased after the terrified youngster.

It also heard how he carried out an unprovoked attack on an unwitting member of the public at Huddersfield bus station later that morning.

After the fatal stabbing Walton admitted the killing in a series of text messages and phone calls and even sent one text to his victim saying he hoped she was dead.

The attack, which took place in a garden shed used as a den by her youngest son, happened in the early hours of the morning after Mrs Simpson and Walton had met by chance in a Huddersfield nightclub.

Prosecutor Nicholas Campbell QC told Bradford Crown Court yesterday how Walton was already subject to a community rehabilitation order for offences of violence and harassment towards a previous partner when he met Mrs Simpson in 2003.

Mr Campbell described the couple's relationship as stormy. A week before the killing Walton moved back to his parents' home as he had done on a number of previous occasions.

After the chance meeting in the Revolution nightspot, Walton was escorted from the premises after some trouble, but later he shared a taxi back to Mrs Simpson's home with her and a female friend.

Walton, who was said to be drunk and to have taken Ecstasy, kept "going on" at the two women before Mrs Simpson's friend Amanda Drane decided to go to bed.

Mr Campbell said she later came downstairs again after hearing Mrs Simpson say: "You're scaring me. Just stop it. Just go."

Miss Drane saw Walton had a knife in his back pocket and she was able to take it from him before going back up to bed again.

Mrs Simpson's teenage daughter, Charlotte, noticed nothing untoward when she went out to do her milk round later that morning, but after returning home and going back into her bedroom she heard her mother moaning.

When she looked out of her window she saw Walton at the doorway of the shed and went outside.

"As she approached the shed she heard Paul Walton say something like `you're mine forever'," said Mr Campbell.

"Charlotte called out `Mum' and she heard her mother's voice from within the shed saying `Oh no, don't hurt her, please don't hurt her'."

When Walton opened the door further the teenager saw him holding a knife and could see his top covered in blood.

Mr Campbell described how Walton, of Hopkinson Road, Sheepridge, then chased after Charlotte, still wielding the knife, and caught her as she tried to jump over a garden wall.

He punched her and grabbed her by the hair before telling her to go away before he killed her.

Mrs Simpson managed to stagger back into her home where her eldest son, Jamie, and her friend found her lying motionless at the foot of the stairs.

Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her at the scene and she was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

In the aftermath of the stabbing Walton sent various texts messages, including one to Mrs Simpson's mobile phone which read: "I hope you are dead you bitch ...ha..ha..ha."

He also contacted another former girlfriend and told her that he had stabbed Mrs Simpson in the chest.

In a text message to the ex-partner he said: "I always told you I was crazy and I'd go insane some day."

During a phone call to the same woman, he admitted stabbing Mrs Simpson "straight through the heart" and said she deserved it.

Later that same morning Walton, who was still carrying the murder weapon, confronted David Farrier at Huddersfield bus station and after a brief exchange he slashed him across the left cheek with the knife causing a permanent scar.

Walton fled again, but was later spotted by a couple who had heard about the fatal stabbing.

He got on to a bus, but was followed by car and after the police were contacted he was finally arrested at a telephone box in Marsden.

Mr Campbell said Walton was "flippant" despite the presence of armed officers and after being handcuffed he said: "I'm glad she's dead anyway."

Walton, who yesterday pleaded guilty to murdering Mrs Simpson and wounding Mr Farrier with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, claimed to be depressed and suffering from paranoia at the time of the killing.

Mr Campbell revealed details about Walton's previous violence towards other girlfriends who had ended relationships with him.

In November 1998, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years after he abducted a teenage girlfriend, held a knife to her throat and repeatedly punched her during a three-and- a-half hour ordeal.

After being released on bail following that incident he slashed her car tyres and sun-roof before assaulting her again.

In October 2002, Walton was made the subject of a community rehabilitation order for two years after he stole another former partner's keys and car and cut up her clothes and credit cards.

He also assaulted her and after she lost consciousness she woke to find him trying to strangle her.

As part of his rehabilitation order, Walton was ordered to take part in an anger management course, but despite his court appearance he continued to harass the woman and sent her abusive text messages.

Mr Campbell said the victim installed a security camera at her home, but the wire was later cut.

Walton was eventually sentenced to another community rehabilitation order in April 2003 for the offence of harassment and was made the subject of an 18-month restraining order.

Barrister Robert Smith QC, for Walton, conceded there was little to be said on his client's behalf and he accepted that his conduct deserved punishment.

He said: "Whatever the explanation or origins of the accused's instability and personality disorder, he recognises that what he's done stems from an inability to control violence.

"He looks back now with a complete lack of comprehension on his past misconduct and the events of that night."

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, told Walton life imprisonment was the only sentence for murder, but he said he needed more time to consider the appropriate minimum term he should serve before even being considered for release.

Walton was remanded back into custody to be sentenced today.