A husband discovered at the bottom of a cliff with broken arms and legs hours after his wife was discovered dead has confessed to her murder.
Police discovered Kaushik Kumar Solanki, 55, with significant injuries in Hunstanton, Norfolk.
On April 15, 2021, police broke into the couple’s house in Tennis Court Drive, Humberstone, Leicester, and discovered his wife, Manisha Saolanki, 49, dead from a head injury.
Mr Solanki, 55, was arrested two days later on suspicion of murder.
He was given bail and remained in the hospital for eight months before being charged.
On Friday, July 8, he appeared in court via video connection in a wheelchair, wearing metal surgical braces on his legs.
On the grounds of diminished responsibility, Mr Solanki admitted manslaughter.
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden QC stated that the Crown would accept the guilty plea and would not proceed with a murder trial.
The court heard psychiatric records stating that Mr Solanki has a serious depressive disorder.
Judge Timothy Spencer QC deferred the trial for later this month’s sentence and remanded Mr Solanki in jail.
The judge said: ‘The sooner this case can be resolved the better.
‘You’re aware that I will have to send you to prison at the next hearing.’
According to LeicestershireLive, police swiftly connected Mrs Solanki’s murder to the finding of a gravely injured Mr Solanki on the Norfolk coast.
At the time, Norfolk photographer Gary Pearson was documenting animals in the Hunstanton region and captured the rescue services working to extract Mr Solanki.
Mr Pearson said: ‘There is some sand on that particular part of the beach, but the part where he was is very rocky. I don’t know the exact height of the cliffs, but I’d say they’d be approximately 70 to 80ft.’
At a previous hearing, Solanki was said to have very little chance of ever walking again..
After the guilty plea, Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) major crime team, said: ‘First and foremost, my thoughts are with friends and family of the Solankis at this very difficult time.
‘During our investigation, it was determined that Kaushik Solanki was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning which led to him taking his wife’s life. While I appreciate today’s outcome will not bring Manisha back, I hope it will provide a degree of closure and allow them to move on with their lives.’