A mentally-ill man from Greenwich who drove his car into a woman at an Amazon distribution centre has been sentenced to a hospital order for her attempted murder.

Former Amazon employee Afrax Ahmed, 30, held the delusional belief that he was being persecuted by the internet giant, Basildon Crown Court heard on Thursday.

The defendant drove his Mazda CX-3 to Amazon's site in Tilbury, Essex, and drove into a woman who was standing by her vehicle in the multi-storey car park.

John Caudle, prosecuting, said the female Amazon worker suffered a severe injury to her shin and a broken pelvis in the incident on July 12 last year.

Ahmed, of Peartree Way, Greenwich, south-east London, then got out of his car and ran to the reception area at the front of the warehouse.

Mr Caudle said the defendant was heard to say "I will kill you, I don't care, I've already killed someone in the car park".

The Amazon distribution centre in Tilbury.

The Amazon distribution centre in Tilbury.

He said a second female Amazon worker "tried to speak with the defendant" and Ahmed kicked her in the back when she turned away from him, breaking two of her ribs.

"There was a strong smell of cannabis," Mr Caudle said.

Ahmed was arrested at the scene and the following day, while in custody, he kicked a police medical worker in the thigh.

Psychiatrist Dr Raman Deo told the court the defendant has paranoid schizophrenia, adding: "I don't think this man has ever had the long-term care that he's needed."

He said Ahmed, who had seven previous detentions under the Mental Health Act, had been diagnosed with different conditions in the past, had "frequently" travelled abroad, and never received the treatment he needed.

The defendant admitted attempted murder, causing actual bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

He also admitted driving without a licence and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Judge Samantha Leigh, sentencing Ahmed to a hospital order, said: "The risk, if untreated, of violent behaviour will be a risk of serious injury or death."

She said text messages showed the defendant "believed he had ongoing issues with Amazon, and how he was dealing or not dealing with what he believed was a persecution by them".

She added: "It wasn't real. It was in his own mind as a result of these delusions he's suffering.

"This is a defendant that will require significant and ongoing long-term treatment."

In addition to detaining Ahmed under the Mental Health Act, the judge ordered action under Section 41 of the same legislation to restrict his discharge from hospital.