A scene of carnage.

JEALOUS Neil Crampton killed his partner, children, and her brother in a cold blooded spree that left a scene of 'absolute carnage', a murder jury heard.

The "Jekyll and Hyde" ex-cabbie stabbed Olufunke Sobo, 36 - known as Liz - daughter Abigail, 12, and son Steven, five, at the family's home.

Crampton also hacked Ms Sobo's brother Yemi, a 41-year-old club DJ, to death.

He took their lives - inflicting more than 300 wounds - when he realised he was about to lose 'beautiful' Funke for good, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Paul Sloan, QC, prosecuting, told how 36-year-old Crampton dialled 999 on November 14, 2006 telling an operator: "I have murdered my entire family."

Minutes later, police arrived at the home in Hawthorn Gardens, Kenton, and discovered the front door closed but unlocked.

"Nothing could have prepared them for what they were to discover," Mr Sloan said.

"As the defendant himself was later to describe it when interviewed by the police, it was a scene of absolute carnage."

Yemi, found in the hallway was stabbed 67 times, mostly to the head and neck. Liz had been stabbed and slashed 108 times again mostly to the head and neck. Defence injuries to her hands showed how she - like her brother - had fought for her life.

Abigail was found partially covered by a duvet in a bedroom.

She had 105 knife wounds - again concentrated to her head and neck - together with defence injuries. Steven, found dead under a duvet, suffered 25 stab injuries.

Crampton, arrested that afternoon when he returned to find armed police waiting at the home he shared with his parents in Huntley Crescent, Winlaton, accepted carrying out the killings.

But he denies four murder charges and is expected to raise the defence of diminished responsibility, the court heard.

Mr Sloan said it is accepted the defendant was a very jealous and possessive individual and that he also suffered from depression.

"Say the prosecution his jealousy was simply a character trait and did not constitute an abnormality of mind.

"On the night of the 13th November, 2006, faced with a final rejection, the defendant, who was perfectly capable of exercising willpower and controlling his emotions, let his temper get the better of him and set out to destroy what he knew he could never possess."

The court heard Liz first met Crampton in about 1993, and Abigail was born in September 1994 shortly before the couple moved into a council flat at Rydal Road, Gosforth.

But their relationship began to deteriorate, Mr Sloan said, and by the time Liz became pregnant with Steven the situation had reached "breaking point".

Shortly before Steven was born in 2001, Liz moved back to live with her mother at Hawthorn Gardens and Crampton returned to his parents.

Contact with the children meant Funke and Crampton still saw each other regularly and an on-off relationship continued.

Crampton, the court heard, was keen for the family to live together again.

"The on-off and somewhat turbulent relationship continued," Mr Sloan said.

Tunde Sobo went back to Nigeria for a holiday in October 2006.

She was due to return on November 14.

Crampton, the court heard, continued to see Liz and on November 5 they had sex together.

"She immediately regretted what had happened and once again made it plain to the defendant the relationship was over," Mr Sloan said.

"His hopes will inevitably have been raised only to be dashed again. "He told her he hated her and she had ruined his life".

Mr Sloan described the events of November 13.

"Some time between about 10.30pm and midnight neighbours heard loud thumping or banging sounds coming from 26 Hawthorn Gardens," he said.

"Shouting and screaming could also be heard over a prolonged period, including the words 'no, no'. Then there was silence"

Crampton made his 999 call the next morning. By then he had also cut himself and made an attempt to hang himself, the court heard. He was later to claim he had also tried to drown himself and electrocute himself in the bath.

Crampton also bought a craft knife before going to Swalwell woods where he harmed himself again, the jury was told.

He was later arrested and told police he could remember little of what had happened in the house.

He remembered fighting with Liz and Yemi and stabbing both with a knife.

"The defendant said his next recollection was of trying to hang himself from a bar in the garage," Mr Sloan told the court.

"He lost consciousness and when he came round he was lying on the floor. "He walked about the house and discovered that Funke, Yemi, and the children were dead.

He claimed not to recall how the children had died."

Later, the court heard, Crompton admitted killing them in the same way as Liz and Yemi.

Crampton confirmed Liz was leaving him and "walking out of his life", the jury heard.

When officers challenged "this was another failure in your life and you couldn't hack it could you?"

Crampton finally answered: "I couldn't hack the fact, no, she was a beautiful women, I was losing her like you've said."

The trial continues.

To see video tributes to Yemi and read tributes to all the family log on to: www.chroniclelive.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

MURDERED: Yemi Sobo, left, and Olofunke Sobo, known as Liz, right; BRUTAL ATTACK: Abigail Crampton, 12, and her brother Stephen, five