A gun dealer appeared in court today after being charged with shooting his solicitor wife dead at their 17th-century country home.
Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 51, was arrested after he allegedly called police to report that he had shot his wife, 41-year-old Silke, in the early hours of Sunday.
Police found the corporate lawyer in a critical condition at the couple’s Grade II-listed farmhouse in Barham, Suffolk, at about 4.45am.
Mrs Hartshorne-Jones was taken by ambulance to Ipswich Hospital, but was declared dead around two hours later at about 6.45am.
The couple had lived at the house with their identical eight-year-old twin sons Harry and Henry, and their two dogs since 2015.
Silke Hartshorne-Jones, 41, was the mother of the couple’s twin sons who are eight years old
Police outside the Grade II-listed 17th century farmhouse in Barham, Suffolk, yesterday
Today, Mr Hartshorne-Jones appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court after he was charged with murder last night.
He spoke to confirm his name, age, address and to state his nationality as British when he appeared via videolink from Bury St Edmunds’ police investigation centre.
The court heard that police were called to the scene at 4.45am on Sunday and that Mrs Hartshorne-Jones was found inside the home with two gunshot wounds.
She died at 6.42am, the court heard. The defendant, who has short, dark hair, wore a blue jumper and remained seated during the hearing, was not asked to make a plea.
He was remanded in custody to appear before Ipswich Crown Court later today.
Mrs Hartshorne-Jones was shot at the house where she lived with husband Peter and their sons
Forensic experts go into the farmhouse in Barham, Suffolk, to investigate yesterday
The clerk told him: ‘You are appearing via live link at Ipswich magistrates court. Please take the room you are in as an extension of the court room.
‘The same rules apply to you as if you were appearing in court in person. You are charged with the murder on May 3, 2020, in Ipswich of Silke Hartshorne-Jones.’
Lesla Small, proseucting, who was also appearing via videolink, told the court that Hartshorne-Jones had been charged with the ‘indictable offence’ of murder.
She said police had received a telephone call at 4.45am on Sunday from Hartshorne-Jones.
Ms Small added: ‘The police attended the property in Barham and indeed they did find Mr Hartshorne-Jones’s wife upstairs in a bedroom where she had received two shots… and unfortunately she was pronounced dead later.’
Police investigate at the scene yesterday following the death of Mrs Hartshorne-Jones
A police officer lifts a cordon allowing another vehicle to enter the property in Barham today
Ms Small said that magistrates were unable to deal with any application for bail and asked for the case to be sent to the crown court.
Hartshorne-Jones’s solicitor Malcolm Plummer made no comment during the five-minute hearing.
Presiding magistrate Peter Forster told Hartshorne-Jones: ‘You have heard what has been said. This matter is beyond our jurisdiction so it is being sent to Ipswich Crown Court.
‘You will appear before Judge Levett for a further court hearing. At that time your bail will be discussed and looked at. We have no jurisdiction for bail in this court.’
Hartshorne-Jones was asked if he understood and he replied: ‘Yes’.
The house was cordoned off as police forensic officers in protective suits combed it yesterday
A police car at the crime scene yesterday as the investigation continues into what happened
Neighbour Kevin Terry said his CCTV captured the heartbreaking moment the couple’s children were taken from the property by police.
‘You have got to feel sorry for these two young boys who have lost their mother in the most awful circumstances. They are going to be the big losers out of all this,’ he said.
The house was cordoned off as police forensic officers in protective suits combed the property.
Mrs Hartshorne-Jones, who was described as a ‘devoted mother’ by one villager, worked as a lawyer for technology company K2 Partnering Solutions.
Her LinkedIn profile described her job as being in charge of the company’s ‘legal and compliance function’ across Europe.
Neighbours said that she used to commute to work, leaving the £600,000 home at 5.30am every weekday and not returning until the evening.
She had been staying at home since lockdown started, although it is not known if she was still working or had been furloughed from her job.
Mr Hartshorne-Jones, a former governor at nearby Otley Primary School who was on his second marriage, always worked from home, according to neighbours.
He has his own recruitment agency providing staff for the catering industry and a business called Hartshorne Fine English Shotguns.
This firm sold what his website describes as ‘the finest sporting English and Scottish shotguns.’