A MAN has been sentenced after his wife was found dead at their home.

John Smith, 79, of Watermill Lane, Bexhill, admitted at a previous hearing the manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility of his wife with unlawful possession of a .22 revolver.

Carol Smith, 75, was found dead at the address on February 6, 2021.

Emergency services had been called to the address where they found the body, and postmortem examination confirmed the death had been caused by a shot from the revolver found at the scene.

John Smith was also found at the address, having sustained a bullet wound to the head from the same weapon and was taken straight to hospital for treatment which has been continuing.

He was arrested and later interviewed under caution.

At Lewes Crown Court today Smith was given a custodial Hospital Order under Section 37 and Section 41 of the Mental Health Act, authorising his detention until further assessment.

Detective Inspector Duncan Elliott from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Unit said: “This was a tragic incident which has left the family devastated, and our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time. On their behalf we would ask the media and public to continue to respect their privacy."