A MAN whose wife’s body was found in a lake at a Suffolk beauty spot last year has admitted killing her.

Stephen Jacobs, 59, of Spinner Close, Ipswich, had previosuly denied murdering his 60-year-old wife Ruth on February 20 last year, but has now pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Peter Gair, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said a number of experts were agreed that Jacobs was mentally ill at the time of the killing.

John Black, for Jacobs, told the court yesterday he would be asking for a hospital order to be made on his client and asked for the case to be adjourned for the necessary report to be prepared.

Judge John Devaux agreed to provisionally adjourn the case until March 8.

Mrs Jacobs’ body was discovered in Needham Lake at around 8am on February 20 and Jacobs was arrested at around 3.45pm on the same day at Wissett Lake, near Halesworth.

A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Jacobs died from drowning.

Mrs Jacobs, who lived in the ground-floor flat in Spinner Close for 10 years, was known to have suffered with anxiety attacks and depression. She had told friends she was bipolar.

At the time of Mrs Jacobs’ death a neighbour described her as a “kind, funny and energetic woman.”