Ponteland woman, 72, charged with murder of 81-year-old husband

An elderly Northumberland woman has been charged with the murder of her 81-year-old husband.

72-year-old Janet Dunn, of Beech Court, Ponteland will appear before magistrates in Bedlington today after an incident which happened at about 5:25 pm on Tuesday, March 15.

Officers received a report of concern for the welfare of a man at an address in the Ponteland area of Northumberland, where emergency services attended the scene.

Anthony Dunn was found dead at the address.

The man’s family have been made aware and are being offered support by specialist family liaison officers at this time.

An investigation was immediately launched into the circumstances surrounding Anthony’s death, which police believe to be suspicious.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Brooks, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an awful case that has sadly resulted in Anthony’s death. Our thoughts are with his family as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened.

“We are committed to finding out exactly what happened in the moments before Anthony’s death, and a team of detectives have been carrying out a range of enquiries in the area over the last few days.

“I would like to thank the community for your patience and cooperation as we have carried out those enquiries, and would encourage anybody with concerns to speak to us.

“We understand that any incident such as this can cause shock within the community, but with a woman now charged and due to appear in court, we would ask everyone to please avoid any speculation – both locally and on social media – that could jeopardise those proceedings.”

Anyone with information that can assist the investigation is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of their website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20220315-0777.