Wife killer tipped over the edge by stress of lockdown
‘Psychotic’ husband blasted partner with his shotgun
A VINTAGE shotgun dealer blasted to death his corporate lawyer wife after developing ‘psychotic symptoms’ during the lockdown.
Peter Hartshorne- Jones, 51, had a long-term depressive illness that was ‘exacerbated during the coronavirus period’.
He became convinced he was suffering from physical ailments and called health professionals to his house on dozens of occasions over a six-week period, before he shot wife Silke in the chest with one of his weapons in May.
The case will raise questions about firearms licences as holders suffering from depression are not automatically required to surrender their weapons.
Hartshorne- Jones had been charged with murder but prosecutors accepted a guilty plea of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility yesterday. He was told to expect a ‘lengthy’ jail term after a consultant psychiatrist found there was no evidence he was ‘legally insane’ at the time.
Hartshorne- Jones, whose company Hartshorne Fine English Shotguns claimed to sell the ‘finest sporting English and Scottish shotguns’ and arranged wild bird shooting breaks, was described as a ‘country gentleman’ by those who knew him.
Friends said his life with his Germanborn wife at their £600,000 17th-century farmhouse in Barham, near Ipswich in Suffolk, seemed ‘fine’. But neighbours revealed they ‘used to argue a bit’.
In the early hours of May 3, Hartshorne
‘Long-term depression was exacerbated’
Jones took a 12-bore shotgun and shot his 41-year- old wife, who worked for a technology company, twice in the chest. Two children were in the house at the time.
Shortly afterwards, he called police and declared: ‘I am sorry, I don’t know what came over me.’ He later said: ‘I didn’t mean to kill her.’
Mrs Hartshorne- Jones was taken to Ipswich Hospital in a critical condition but was pronounced dead at 6.40pm.
The farmhouse had two gun cabinets and a number of weapons were recovered from the scene.
Hartshorne-Jones, who claims to have no memory of the shooting, had refused to take the medication he had been prescribed. He admitted the manslaughter charge last month after a psychiatrist acting for him diagnosed a mental health condition.
The prosecution hired their own expert, who has now concluded there was an ‘abnormality of mental functioning’ with ‘psychotic symptoms’ at the time of the killing.
Prosecutor Peter Gair told Ipswich Crown Court both psychiatrists’ reports and other evidence meant HartshorneJones’ murder defence ‘would be proved more likely than not in trial’.
He added: ‘Bearing in mind all the circumstances, we are prepared to accept the plea that was entered and not proceed with a trial for murder.’
Relatives of Mrs HartshorneJones, who were listening to the hearing on a video link, had already been informed of the decision by police so they were ‘not taken by surprise’.
Jonathan Goodman, defending, said: ‘My understanding is that he had a long-term depressive illness that was exacerbated in the coronavirus period.’
Twice-married HartshorneJones, who also ran a recruitment agency hiring staff for the catering industry, spoke only to confirm his name as he sat in the dock during the hearing.
The case was adjourned until January to allow further psychiatric reports on the degree of ‘dangerousness’ he posed and whether he intended to kill his
wife. Judge Martyn Levett said: ‘it is clear to me that you are prepared for a prison sentence which may be a lengthy one, bearing in mind the incident, the firearm being used and the presence of children.’
Gps have been required to inform the police if they have concerns about a patient applying for a firearms licence since 2016.
But Home office guidance states: ‘The fact that a person has received treatment in the past for certain illnesses or conditions, such as depression or stress, does not make them automatically unsuitable to possess a firearm.’