A man accused of stabbing five people in Amsterdam’s De Pijp in May this year had asked his GP day for medicine for psychotic behaviour but had not received it, a court has heard.

NH Nieuws reports that Mustapha S was depressive, psychotic and started to hear voices in his head, according to his lawyer.

In a preliminary hearing, a court heard that in April the man took off his glasses because he believed people were spying through them, was referred by his doctor to crisis help and had medication prescribed.

By May, after a trip to Egypt, his medicine had run out, his situation worsened and his mother called local GGZ psychiatric services only to be told his case file had been closed and he had to return to his GP.

On the day of the attack, the court heard that S. had asked his GP for medication but had not received it. He then tried to commit suicide before going to De Pijp and stabbing five people, including a 64-year-old man who died.

The lawyer for S., who was not in court but is undergoing psychiatric evaluation, said that there were only losers in this case. The full trial will begin in November.