A parish council member has testified in court on charges that he killed his wife in the house they shared.
When Milton Keynes police were called to their cottage on Saturday morning, they discovered Christine Sargent inside the house unconscious. Michael Sargent, 77, was then detained.
At the scene, the 73-year-old received immediate first aid before being taken to the hospital shortly after 8 am.
She died later that day.
Her husband, Mr Sargent, of Bradwell Road, Loughton, Milton Keynes, was charged with one count of murder.
He appeared at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court today.
A Home Office post-mortem was carried out yesterday and provisional results found that Mrs Sargent died as a result of neck compression.
Thames Valley Police officers taped off the entrance to the bungalow following the incident.
Senior investigating officer detective chief inspector Dejan Avramovic, of the major crime unit, said: ‘Christine’s family are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers and our thoughts are with them.
‘On their behalf, we would ask that their privacy is respected at this extremely distressing time for them.’
Mr Sargent is also well-known by his middle name ‘Andy’ and has been serving as chair of the planning committee on Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council since 2011.
He’d taken up the role after working as a technical manager at Volkswagen Group UK for almost 25 years.
The pensioner is also a member of the All Saints Church Loughton Jubilee graveyard committee.
Elsewhere, a woman in Australia faces life in prison after she killed her abusive husband by lacing biscuits with drugs before putting him in a freezer.