Manfred Uhle charged with murdering wife Wanda Uhle in Togo Place, Gordon

An elderly man allegedly stabbed his wife to death before driving to a granddaughter’s home, with blood on his face, hands and feet.

Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Ladd, of ACT Policing. Picture: Blake Foden

An elderly man allegedly stabbed his wife to death before driving to a granddaughter’s home, with blood on his face, hands and feet, and announcing “nan is at peace”.

Manfred Uhle, 86, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with murdering his wife, Wanda Dorothy Uhle, 78, at the couple’s south Canberra home the previous morning.

In court documents, police claim Mr Uhle “appeared shaken” when he arrived, shoeless and wearing pyjamas, at the granddaughter’s home in Fadden about 7am on Sunday.

He allegedly told his granddaughter he had been in a fight with Mrs Uhle, that she had cut him, and that she was “now sleeping”.

The concerned granddaughter rang the landline at the couple’s home in nearby Gordon, but there was no answer.

Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Ladd, who has urged people to “look out for your friends and family” following the alleged murder. Picture: Blake Foden

She therefore called her sister, who in turn contacted police.

The documents state that when police arrived at the couple’s townhouse in Togo Place, they found Mrs Uhle’s naked body under a blanket in the foetal position.

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

Officers also claim to have found a 30-centimetre knife under a towel just inside the front door, along with blood in the toilet, laundry and hallway.

A preliminary examination of Mrs Uhle’s body identified a significant number of injuries, which were mostly incised wounds.

Her interim cause of death was determined to be severe blood loss from stab wounds.

There was a major police presence at the scene on Sunday, as officers conducted forensic examinations and spoke to neighbours.

Togo Place, in the ACT suburb of Gordon, where the alleged murder occurred. Picture: Blake Foden

According to court documents, one neighbour told police she had woken at 5.45am to a high-pitched female scream that lasted 30-40 seconds.

Another neighbour said he had heard an argument and someone yelling “Fred, Fred”.

Mr Uhle’s occupation is listed in court documents as “kitchenman”.

He was arrested at his granddaughter’s home, where paramedics treated him for “disorientation”.

The 86-year-old was subsequently taken to Canberra Hospital under police guard.

Canberra Hospital, where Manfred Uhle is now being held. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

He did not enter a plea to the murder charge when he faced court via audiovisual link from the hospital on Monday, with defence lawyer Nathan Deakes by his bedside.

Mr Deakes asked chief magistrate Lorraine Walker to order that the 86-year-old, who appeared to have oxygen tubes in his nostrils, be detained for a mental health assessment.

The Legal Aid lawyer said his client had a neurological condition, and such an order might “hasten” the process of having him seen by a specialist.

Prosecutor Claire Daly opposed the order, arguing Mr Uhle was “already in the best place” for immediate treatment or care if that was what he required.

Ms Daly added that neither police nor ACT Corrective Services officers would remain at the hospital to guard Mr Uhle if he was detained for the mental health assessment.

She said this was concerning, given the level of violence reflected in the allegations.

The ACT courts, where Manfred Uhle appeared via audiovisual link. Picture: Blake Foden

Ms Walker shared this concern, and agreed the allegations involved “significant violence”.

But she made the order requested by Mr Deakes, saying there appeared to be reasonable grounds for the defence lawyer’s concern about Mr Uhle’s mental health.

The chief magistrate noted material before the court revealed Mr Uhle had recently been hospitalised after suffering from what she called “some delusional behaviour or thoughts”.

It is not yet clear when Mr Uhle’s case will return to the court, which heard his criminal history contained only dated matters from the 1960s.

Several family members attended the brief court proceedings on Monday, with some quietly crying and dabbing their eyes with tissues as he watched on from the hospital.

The charging of Mr Uhle comes just a month after another elderly man, believed to be Canberra’s oldest killer, was sentenced to nine years behind bars for murder.

That man, 93-year-old Donald Morley, admitted killing his wife in an unrelated case.

At the scene of Sunday’s alleged murder, Detective Acting Superintendent Stephen Ladd expressed his “heartfelt sorrow” and urged people to “look out for your friends and family”.

“If you think there are issues with mental or physical health, particularly as people get into their elder years, [ensure] they reach out and talk to somebody [and] get the assistance they need to avoid incidents like this,” the senior ACT Policing investigator said.