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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Care home shooting accused 'said wife would be gone' | Care home shooting accused 'said wife would be gone' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A disabled pensioner who shot his wife in a care home told a member of staff she would not be there in two days, a court heard. | A disabled pensioner who shot his wife in a care home told a member of staff she would not be there in two days, a court heard. |
| Rita King, 81, died at De La Mer House in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, on 28 December. | |
| Her husband Ronald, 87, denies murdering his wife, who had dementia. | Her husband Ronald, 87, denies murdering his wife, who had dementia. |
| Care worker Danielle Cross told Chelmsford Crown Court she had an altercation with Mr King two days before his wife died. | Care worker Danielle Cross told Chelmsford Crown Court she had an altercation with Mr King two days before his wife died. |
| Live: For the latest on the Ronald King trial and other Essex stories | Live: For the latest on the Ronald King trial and other Essex stories |
| While she was making dinner on Boxing Day for residents at the home, at which Mrs King was a resident, Mr King told her his wife needed the toilet, the jury was told. | While she was making dinner on Boxing Day for residents at the home, at which Mrs King was a resident, Mr King told her his wife needed the toilet, the jury was told. |
| He was rude, she told the jury, and complained: "I can never find a carer when I need one." | He was rude, she told the jury, and complained: "I can never find a carer when I need one." |
| Ms Cross told Mr King she would be there as soon as possible. | Ms Cross told Mr King she would be there as soon as possible. |
| He then added, "Rita won't be here by Monday anyway", the court heard. | He then added, "Rita won't be here by Monday anyway", the court heard. |
| Ms Cross told the court although she did mention his comments to a senior member of staff she assumed at the time Mr King meant he intended to take her home. | Ms Cross told the court although she did mention his comments to a senior member of staff she assumed at the time Mr King meant he intended to take her home. |
| She told how Mr King was affectionate towards his wife and would kiss her goodnight when she went to bed. | She told how Mr King was affectionate towards his wife and would kiss her goodnight when she went to bed. |
| 'Had enough' | |
| In police interviews played to the court, Mr King said the pair would have been married for 50 years this September. | |
| He would visit her at the care home "once or twice a week", and recalled: "She used to wait for me to have her breakfast - she said it used to brighten her day." | |
| But Mrs King started crying when her husband told her he could not cope with her coming back to the home they shared in Walton. | |
| "I asked her if she'd had enough and she said yes," Mr King told police. | |
| "That's when I phoned for a taxi - I said I'd forgotten my medicine - I went back and got the gun." | |
| When asked if Mrs King knew he was planning on taking her life, Mr King replied: "She thought that we were going back home." | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |