This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A man charged with murdering a fellow passenger by stabbing him nine times on a train in front of his teenage son, has appeared in court and said he was paranoid and hearing voices.

Darren Shane Pencille, 35, is charged with the murder of Lee Pomeroy, 51, and possessing an offensive weapon.

The stabbing on Friday happened as Pomeroy travelled to London for a trip to mark his birthday the following day with his son.

The stabbing is alleged to have followed a row between the two men on the train, which moved from one carriage to another.

During a two-minute appearance at Staines magistrates court on Monday, Pencille said he was “innocent until proven guilty”.

Looking towards the public gallery, where journalists were seated, the accused said: “The people are making me paranoid ... They look like they are filming, recording me for no reason.” He added: “I’m paranoid. I’m hearing voices.”

At a later hearing, Pencille was remanded into custody, along with his partner Chelsea Mitchell, 27, who is charged with assisting an offender by helping the suspect leave the scene and change his appearance.

The court heard Pomeroy, who lived in Guildford and owned an IT firm, was found with nine stab wounds.

Both of the accused later appeared at a hearing at at Guildford crown court on Monday afternoon where the judge, Robert Fraser, remanded the pair in custody to appear by prison video-link at the same court on 7 February.

Pomeroy was described by his family as “an honourable man” who “would always help somebody who was in trouble”.

In a statement, the family said he was a cultured man, who loved his 50-year-old wife, Svetlana. “He was a devoted family man and did everything for his family,” they said.