Manfred Uhle remanded in custody over alleged murder of wife Wanda Uhle

“That’s my daughter there,” an 86-year-old alleged murderer said as he fronted court, prompting emotional scenes before he was remanded in custody.

The south Canberra home where Manfred Uhle allegedly murdered his wife, Wanda Dorothy Uhle. Picture: Blake Foden

An elderly alleged killer is behind bars, suffering from Covid, after a court heard a hospital assessment found he did not have a mental illness.

Manfred Uhle, 86, is yet to enter a plea to a charge that he murdered wife Wanda Dorothy Uhle, 78, by stabbing her to death at the couple’s south Canberra home on Sunday morning.

He faced the ACT Magistrates Court via audiovisual link on Wednesday afternoon, wearing a white face mask in a room on the far side of the building.

“That’s my daughter there,” he said at one stage, prompting a woman standing in the corner of the courtroom to burst into tears and hug the man beside her.

It was the first time Mr Uhle had been present in the court precinct, having faced a bedside hearing when he first appeared from Canberra Hospital on Monday.

The street sign at the entrance to Togo Place, where the couple lived. Picture: Blake Foden

Chief magistrate Lorraine Walker ordered on that occasion that Mr Uhle be detained at the hospital for a mental health assessment.

On Wednesday, magistrate Ian Temby said the discharge report that followed that assessment was “devoid of any real content”.

The home inside which the murder allegedly occurred. Picture: Blake Foden

However, Mr Temby said hospital staff had ticked the “no” box in a section that asked whether Mr Uhle was suffering from a mental illness.

“He no longer meets the criteria for involuntary detention,” the magistrate said.

Defence lawyer Nathan Deakes told the court there would be no application for bail.

He asked Mr Temby to mark Mr Uhle as a prisoner at risk, citing his own concerns about the 86-year-old’s mental and physical health.

The ACT courts, where Manfred Uhle appeared on Wednesday. Picture: Blake Foden

Mr Deakes said his client was suffering from Covid, as well as “distress and associated grief”.

Mr Uhle was ultimately remanded in custody.

The court heard he would be assessed by Justice Health upon his induction at Canberra’s jail, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, later on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, court documents revealed police would allege they found Mrs Uhle’s naked body in the foetal position under a blanket at the couple’s townhouse in Gordon.

Officers claim to have found a 30-centimetre knife under a towel just inside the front door of the home, where blood was allegedly discovered in the toilet, laundry and hallway.

Court documents state Mrs Uhle’s interim cause of death was determined to be severe blood loss from stab wounds.

Police found her body after one of the couple’s granddaughters requested a welfare check.

She became concerned for her grandmother’s welfare after receiving a phone call from her sister, who later told police Mr Uhle had driven to her place in Fadden with blood on his face, hands and feet.

According to court documents, police will allege a “shaken” Mr Uhle told that granddaughter he had been in a fight with “nan”.

“Nan is at peace,” the 86-year-old allegedly said.

The case is due back in court on Friday for a forensic procedure application, which Mr Uhle has been excused from attending if he is legally represented.

The matter has also been listed for a mention later this month.