A mentally ill husband has admitted shooting dead his wife at their country home.

Edward Edrich, 59, denied murdering Claire Edrich but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

Mother-of-two Mrs Edrich, 55, was found dead at their four-bedroom family home near Crawley on January 30 with shotgun injuries to her neck and chest.

Edrich was arrested at the secluded property in Poles Lane, Lowfield Heath, and charged with her murder.

Defence counsel George Carter-Stephenson QC told Lewes Crown Court that one psychiatric report concluded that Edrich was suffering from an "abnormality of mind" at the time of the killing.

Ann Toynbee, prosecuting, gave no indication about whether Edrich's guilty plea to manslaughter would be accepted but said a second psychiatric report should be sought.

Mr Carter-Stephenson said if both reports come to the same conclusion that Edrich was suffering an abnormality of mind, then a hospital placement under the Mental Health Act should be sought.

Judge Richard Brown remanded Edrich in custody to reappear in court on June 15.