Council ‘let down’ husband who shot wife in care home

AN ELDERLY man who killed his wife who was suffering from dementia was neglected by the council because the couple self-funded her care, a review has found.

The report found that Essex County Council did not complete a full assessment of the couple’s needs because they were wealthy enough to pay for their own care.

Ronald King, 89, shot his wife, Rita, 82, with a 1934 Enfield service revolver loaded with four bullets while on a visit to her care home, De La Mer House, Essex, in December 2015.

He was found guilty of manslaughter in August 2016 after the court heard that he himself suffered from dementia at the time of the shooting.

A report by Essex’s community safety watchdog published last month and seen by The Daily Telegraph concluded that the council “let down” the couple.

This was by failing to carry out a faceto-face assessment after it was found that Mr King was struggling to care for his wife, who needed to move into a care home.

The fact that the couple were selffunding “appears to have influenced the way in which the matter was handled” and meant a proper assessment of them did not take place, the report found.

Julie Curtis, 60, De La Mer’s manager, who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting, said the necessary social work checks did not take place because the couple were paying for their own care.

Ray Hart, of Valuing Care, a care consultant, said underfunded councils were struggling to provide assessments to self-funding residents.

“The average self-funder will not have the support as those who are local-authority funded,” he said.

Anyone with money or assets worth more than £23,250 must fund their own care in most cases.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said it had reacted to the findings. They said: “We have taken on board the findings of the report, and have already amended and tightened our approach to assessments.

“It is our aim to make sure that everyone who has requested an assessment of need receives one irrespective of their means and circumstances, in line with national care and support guidance.”