Man who shot wife avoids murder trial

A GUN dealer who shot dead his lawyer wife at their farmhouse will not stand trial for her murder.

Prosecutors accepted that Peter Hartshorne-jones, 51, was s uffering f rom “an abnormality of mental functioning” at the time of the shooting during lockdown.

Ipswich Crown Court was told that he had been suffering from a depressive illness for a long period which was made worse by the pandemic.

Hartshorne- Jones had denied the murder of his wife Silke, 41, at an earlier hearing, but pleaded guilty to her manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

Prosecutors ruled his plea was acceptable at a hearing yesterday, meaning he will be sentenced for the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Hartshorne-jones, who had a shotgun licence, was warned by Judge Martyn Levett t hat he f a ce d a “lengthy” prison sentence.

The court heard how two children were in the house when he shot his wife twice with a 12-gauge shotgun in a bedroom at their 17th century home, Chestnut Farm in

Barham near Ipswich, Suffolk. The children were said to have witnessed “the aftermath” of the shooting.

Hartshorne-jones dialled 999 in the early hours of May 3 to report that he had shot his German-born wife.

He allegedly told police: “I am sorry, I don’t know what came over me”. He was said to have stated later: “I didn’t mean to kill her.”

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said that reports by two psychiatrists and other evidence meant t hat Hartshorne-Jones’ defence to murder “would be proved more likely than not at trial”.

Mr Gair said: “Bearing in mind all the circumstances, we are prepared to accept the plea that was entered, and not proceed with a trial for murder.”

The case was adjourned for sentencing in the week beginning on Jan 11 to allow further psychiatric reports on the degree of “dangerousness” he posed and whether he intended to kill his wife.

The court heard that Hartshorne-jones was claiming he had no memory of the shooting. Mr Gair said that the use of the gun and the presence of children in the house were aggravating factors.