88-year-old with dementia remains jailed as no aged care bed is available
An 88-year-old found unfit to plead to murder remains imprisoned because no aged care facility will accept him.
Manfred Uhle, 88, killed his wife Wanda at their Canberra home in June 2024 during a jealous rage driven by paranoid delusions about infidelity. Wanda suffered 10 stab wounds to her upper body and 23 defensive injuries.
A court found Uhle unfit to plead due to likely vascular dementia, which causes memory loss, confusion and paranoid thoughts. Despite family inquiries, no aged care facility has agreed to take him.
The court, prosecutors and his own lawyer all said there is no alternative to jail. A judge is now determining a prison term.
When hospitalised after arrest, Uhle had no violent incidents toward staff, though those caring for him note he is deteriorating and frail.
- Manfred Uhle, 88 years old
- The defendant
- June 2024
- When he killed
- Vascular dementia with paranoid delusions
- Diagnosis
Why it mattersA court-ordered patient cannot leave jail because the aged care system has no bed for him, leaving justice and care in deadlock.
AustraliaAustralia's aged care system is struggling to accommodate complex cases, leaving courts and families with no safe options.
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