Michael Hubbard stabbed wife to death at home

An 82-year-old man with dementia stabbed his wife of 50 years to death in their home, a court has found.

Police shot Michael Hubbard with a rubber bullet as he stood over the body of his wife Hilda in Brooke, Norfolk, in September 2018.

A jury took less than 20 minutes to decide he had committed the act, after a one-day trial of the facts held due to Hubbard being unfit to stand trial.

Judge Anthony Bate imposed a hospital order under the Mental Health Act.

On 23 September 2018, neighbours saw Mr Hubbard standing in the doorway of the house on Churchill Place with his wife, known as Frances, lying on the ground.

He walked to the kitchen and came back with two blood-stained knives, the court heard.

Neighbours called 999, but Hubbard said: "She won't need an ambulance." He then stabbed his wife three more times in the neck.

When armed police arrived, he told them: "She's dead. Just shoot me."

He put the knife to Mrs Hubbard's neck once more and an officer shot one round at his abdomen to disarm him.

The court had been told by Mr and Mrs Hubbard's children that they had a happy marriage, with no suggestion of domestic violence.

Stephen Hubbard and Fiona Ford said their father's mental health had begun to deteriorate in 2016 and he would become forgetful and confused, and occasionally hallucinate.

The day before he killed his wife, neighbours had intervened when Hubbard accused his wife of stealing money.

A trial of the facts seeks to establish the truth of allegations against a defendant if they are unfit to stand trial, but does not decide upon their guilt or innocence.