Advisory: This article mentions suicide

Jean and John Salter had been married about 60 years when he killed her in their Mount Maunganui retirement village apartment, strangling her with a necktie before trying to take his own life because he “could not live without her”. As he pleads guilty to her murder, court documents reveal a story of Alzheimer’s, a claimed suicide pact, their final day together and Jean’s last words: “Oh, John”.

Jean and John Salter woke early that Sunday. They went out for breakfast, stopping at McDonalds and a Robert Harris Café in the sunny Bay of Plenty.

They sat enjoying the sun before going home to the Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village apartment they had shared for 18 of their about 60 years together.

There, John, 80, began preparing to kill Jean, 78, and himself.

Jean had been suffering from mild Alzheimer’s for about a year and for the first time in his married life, John had taken over the household duties – cooking, cleaning, paying bills, buying groceries.

A few days earlier, October 4, she had been found wandering in the apartment block. It was suggested to John she be moved to an Alzheimer’s facility and this left him stressed about the idea of them being separated.

John claimed he spoke to Jean about making a suicide pact that week. She would nod in agreement at times before forgetting the arrangement, but he began taking extra blood thinners in preparation.

Returning to their apartment from the breakfast outing on October 8 around midday, John placed a necktie under a couch cushion in the lounge near Jean’s armchair.

He went into the bathroom and made preparations to take his own life.

During the afternoon, John made his wife a cup of coffee and sat with her in the lounge.

John and Jean Salter lived in an apartment at Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village for 18 of their about 60 years together. Photo / Alex Cairns

At some point, he asked her to drink her coffee and she stood to pick it up, then put it down again.

Her husband saw this as his opportunity. He took the necktie out and wrapped the ends around his hands.

He helped Jean stand up and wrapped the tie around her throat.

He strangled her as he lowered her to the floor and she cried out “oh, John” several times.

After she died, John went into the bathroom and attempted to commit suicide. Not succeeding, he called a relative, then the police.

Police previously confirmed they were called to the village at 6.55pm on October 8 and found Jean’s body. They launched a homicide investigation.

Police recorded that John said he killed his wife because “he could not live without her, and planned to kill himself after to be with her”.

John Salter appeared via audio-visual link in the Tauranga courthouse. Photo / NZME

Today John Allfed Salter appeared in the Tauranga High Court via audio-visual link from prison and pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, Jean Ann Slater.

He bowed his head as the murder charge was read out and tearfully tried to speak to Justice Neil Campbell.

Salter’s lawyer, Tony Rickard-Simms, said he could not say if his client had mental health issues but described him as “very anxious, very frail and fragile physically” and said he was not doing well in prison.

He sought time to likely seek a psychiatrist’s report and get information from the defendant’s family in the United Kingdom.

Justice Campbell convicted Salter of murder and said he would remain in prison before appearing in the Hamilton High Court for sentencing on February 29.

Justice Campbell declined media applications to take photographs of the defendant or video at the hearing as this would “create a serious risk of harm” to him.

He granted a request to release the Crown’s summary of facts in the case to the Bay of Plenty Times.

A small group of people watched the hearing from the public gallery. They declined to comment when approached by the Bay of Plenty Times outside court.

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

Where to get help:
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: 0800 376 633
• What's Up: 0800 942 8787 (11am to11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• Helpline: 1737
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.