An elderly man accused of murdering his wife at their Bournemouth home entered no plea during a crown court appearance.

Grenville Douglas Richings was charged with murder over the death of 83-year-old Elizabeth Richings after she was found dead on June 3.

Mr Richings appeared in the dock at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday, July 3, but did not enter a plea to the charge during the roughly 20-minute hearing.

The charge of murder relates to an incident at a property in Roscrea Drive off Wick Lane in Southbourne.

Officers and the ambulance service attended the scene, however, Mrs Richings was pronounced dead.

An inquest into her death at Bournemouth Town Hall heard how the retired nurse died from compression of the neck.

Mr Richings will next appear at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, September 29, for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Detective Inspector Mark Jenkins, of Dorset Police’s major crime investigation team, previously said: “This case will now be the subject of active court proceedings and it is vital that the justice system is allowed to follow its course.”