A plea hearing for a catering equipment recruiter whose wife was fatally shot at their Suffolk home has been adjourned until later this month.
Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 51, who is accused of murdering his 41-year-old wife Silke Hartshorne-Jones at their farmhouse in Barham, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court via video link from Norwich Prison.
Jonathan Goodman, representing Hartshorne-Jones, said a psychiatrist had found his client fit to plead but asked for the case to be adjourned for a further report, according to the Ipswich Star.
Judge Martyn Levett adjourned the case to September 11 and remanded Hartshorne-Jones in custody.
Mr Hartshorne-Jones was a director of Hartshorne Associates, which was set up in 1999 to specialise solely in the catering equipment and foodservice sector.
Traditionally, it operated on a search and selection and headhunting basis, but expanded into agency and contingency recruitment.
It worked on an assignment basis with manufacturers, distributors and design firms, and Mr Hartshorne-Jones is understood to be well-known to many in the industry. He is listed on Companies House as the sole director of the business.
Officers from Suffolk Police were called to Hartshorne-Jones’ home shortly before 4.45am on Sunday 3 May after receiving reports a woman had been shot.
On arrival at the premises, they discovered Mrs Hartshorne-Jones inside with serious injuries. She was transported to Ipswich Hospital via ambulance in a critical condition, where she died a short time later.
A postmortem examination confirmed her death was the result of the two gunshot wounds.
A trial has been fixed for five days and is due to start on Monday 26 October 2020.
