A frail pensioner who killed his bedridden wife has been told by a judge he will not be going to jail.

Dennis Halford, 79, denied a charge of murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court.

His wife, Natalie, 76, was found dead at the couple's home in Ham Road, Worthing, in April.

She had been injected with insulin and smothered with a plastic bag. A post mortem showed she died of suffocation.

The couple had been married for 57 years.

During the court hearing Halford, who appeared confused, was allowed to remain seated because of his age and infirmity.

After giving his plea, the father-of-three leaned back in his chair and appeared exhausted by the ordeal.

His family were in court to support him.

Alan Kent, prosecuting, told the court the plea of manslaughter was accepted on the basis of diminished responsibility.

Halford, a retired shopkeeper, had denied a charge of murder at an earlier hearing and a trial, expected to last ten days, was due to take place later this year.

Jeremy Gold QC, defending, told the court: "We have always maintained there is an element of a suicide pact about the case."

Judge Richard Brown adjourned the case for sentence but told Halford he would not be facing an immediate jail term.

Halford said "Thank you" to the judge before being released on bail on condition he lives at a psychiatric unit.

The pensioner, who is unsteady on his feet, needed help from a jailer and a court usher as he left the dock.

Halford was remanded in custody after he was charged with murder but was later released on conditional bail. He has undergone psychiatric assessment over the past few months.

He will be sentenced on December 5.