A former police officer killed his seriously ill wife after being frustrated by NHS delays in her treatment, a court heard.
Grenville Richings, 83, was found guilty of strangling his wife but was spared prison after the judge described the murder as an “act of mercy”.
Mr Richings’ wife Elizabeth was “crushed with pain” after a serious fall and delayed healthcare appointments, the court heard.
As the couple’s diamond wedding anniversary approached, Mr Richings murdered the retired nurse, then kissed her and laid her on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest.
The churchgoer later drank bleach while attempting suicide and wrote “Peace, God forgive me” in his diary, where he would write about his wife’s deteriorating health.
A crown court judge on Tuesday gave Mr Richings a suspended prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, concluding that the “mental torture” he suffered was “unbearable”.
Salisbury Crown Court heard Ms Richings was found dead by paramedics at the £500,000 riverside home she shared with her husband in Bournemouth, Dorset, on June 3.
The court was told how Mr and Mrs Richings, originally from Ayr in south-west Scotland, met in their early twenties and have been happily married for 59 years.
Prosecutor Anna Vigars KC told the court: “Their marriage was not only long but, according to their daughter, stable and happy.”
The court heard that the health of the husband and wife, who have three children and four grandchildren, had deteriorated over the past few years.
Ms Vigars said: “Mr Richings had had heart problems since his sixties and received significant care and support from his wife.”
The husband and wife cared for each other but things got worse in May this year when Mrs Richings had a bad fall; This was a situation that had become increasingly “frequent” in recent years. She suffered a fractured vertebra in her back.
Ms Vigars said the pensioner may have felt “like the rug had been pulled out from under him” and noticed how much his neighbors were struggling.
Mr. Richings’s personal notebook contained a series of excerpts regarding his wife’s condition since the autumn.
‘Waste of time advising the NHS’
He was becoming increasingly frustrated and helpless, and wrote: “So much time was spent consulting NHS staff rather than taking action.”
Ms Vigars added: “The stress level was 10 out of 10 due to the duration of medical referrals.”
Reluctant to leave his wife on June 3, Mr Richings went food shopping with his daughter Katherine Draycott but reportedly “wants to return home as soon as possible”.
The retiree wrote in his diary later that day that his wife, known as Betty to friends and family, was “shivering and trembling.”
In the evening, Miss Draycott called home and when she spoke to her father on the phone, the prosecution lawyer said: “He had slurred speech and told him he had strangled his wife and called an ambulance.”
Ms Vigars said police went to their home in Bournemouth, adding: “They found Ms Richings’ body lying on the sofa. “He was covered with blankets and his arms were covering his chest.”
Patrick Gibbs KC, mitigating, said Ms Richings suffered “constant pain, despair and helplessness” and the retired police officer “put on a brave face” until the end.
He said in court: “[Mr Richings] He had a genuine belief that this was an act of mercy. There is no danger here.
“He believed he would see her again soon, free from pain.”
Discussing the motivations, Mr Gibbs added: “The answer must be that he had loved her for so long that his mind could no longer bear to see her crushed by her pain and despair.
He added: “The June 3 incident is only part of their story. Their stories are long and happy.”
Sentencing the retiree, Judge Timothy Mousley KC said: “On May 11 [Betty] fell at home.
“This caused him great suffering and there was a delay in him receiving the treatment and care he needed.
“He actually had broken vertebrae.”
Judge Mousley added that Mr Richings was not himself at the time and was suffering from “abnormalities of mental functioning” due to his deteriorating mental health.
The judge added: “I conclude that the mental torture was intolerable. A psychiatrist said you were extremely helpless.
“You told a psychiatrist that you kissed Betty after strangling her.
“He was found lying peacefully on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest,” he added.
“I am convinced that you believe killing is an act of mercy.”
Mr Richings pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court in Hampshire in November.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.