A pensioner has admitted killing his wife of more than 50 years in a frenzied attack at their home in Sutherland.

Edwin Brown, 72, has had his plea of guilty to culpable homicide accepted by the Crown.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that on May 7 this year the couple returned home from a day of shopping to their home in Badnaban. Brown drank a bottle and a half of wine before falling asleep in a chair. Upon waking he decided to kill his 74-year-old wife Ann.

The retired chemist beat his wife with an ornament and stabbed her in the neck 11 times with a knife.

After the sustained attack, Brown dialled 999. He told the operator: “I’ve killed my wife.”

The operator replied: "Sorry, you've killed your wife?" Brown replied: "Hopefully, with a bit of luck, yes."

Brown had been suffering from prostate cancer for 15 years as well as from depression. It was also heard that he had a long held suspicion that his wife had been unfaithful to him 30 years ago.

The Crown accepted that he was suffering from diminished responsibility at the time. Sentence was deferred until December.