Man accused of beheading grandmother Jennifer Mills-Westley demanded giant knife, was wanted by police before attack

THREE days before a British grandmother was beheaded in a Spanish supermarket, a judge issued a warrant for the arrest of the man who allegedly killed her, The Times reported.

Grandmother of five Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, was allegedly stabbed and beheaded by Deyan Valentinov Deyanov, a 28-year-old Bulgarian.

A warrant for Deyanov's arrest was issued May 10 for an attack on a man, in which he knocked out two of the victim's teeth. The judge did not know the address of Deyanov, who had no fixed abode, so told police that he was often seen in one particular road.

Yesterday The Sun reported that CCTV footage from inside a store showed the accused killer holding his hands three feet apart as he shouted to the shopkeeper, "I want a knife this big." When asked why, Deyanov drew his finger across his throat and replied, "I'm going to kill somebody."

The homeless man eventually stormed out when shopkeeper Carlos ordered him to leave.

"He wandered around looking for something. He had a note, which he showed me - it said, 'I am God,'" Carlos said.

"I asked him what he was looking for, and he held his hands far apart and said, 'I'm looking for a knife this big.' I asked him why he wanted it, and he said, 'I'm going to kill somebody.'"

After leaving the shop, Deyanov began stalking Mills-Westley as she shopped nearby.

Earlier it was revealed Mills-Westley was being followed by her alleged attacker on the day of the attack and had asked for help just minutes before she was killed.

The 60-year-old told officlals at a social services office near her home in the Spanish resort town of Los Cristianos that a man had been following her around a shopping centre that morning.

A police source told The Sunday Times in the UK that the officials offered Ms Mills-Westley refuge until the man following her had disappeared.

She then walked into a Chinese-owned shop nearby but he went after her.

He followed her into a supermarket, seized a knife from a shelf and stabbed her 14 times with a blade designed for cutting fine slices of ham.

"He grabbed a large kitchen knife from the shelf and stabbed her at least 14 times in the neck without saying a word," the source said.

CCTV caught every moment of the horror before Deyanov left, carrying his victim's head. He has a history of mental illness, and in February was released from the island hospital where he was sent after a previous attack.

Deyanov remained in custody charged with murder after being questioned by a magistrate at a closed hearing.

Spanish TV reports say Deyanov called himself "the prophet of God" and walked around town saying: "I am sent by God to carry out justice on Earth."

The incident has triggered concerns about the Island's ability to manage mental health issues, with some questioning how Deyanov, who has a history of mental illness and violence, was allowed to roam free.