Wife killer sent to secure aged care

An elderly man who killed his sleeping wife by repeatedly hitting her with a hammer has been ordered to live in a secure aged care facility.

Daniel Dunn, now 85, was found not guilty of murder last December due to mental incompetence.

A South Australian Supreme Court judge found he caused the death of Edith Rose Alice Dunn, 86, on December 29, 2012 by hitting her with a hammer numerous times while she was asleep.

She died at their home at Gladstone, in the South Australian mid-north.

Describing the case as very sad, the judge found that at the time Dunn was suffering from a major depressive disorder with psychotic features and did not know his conduct was wrong.

Another judge, Justice Ann Vanstone, on Wednesday made a supervision order with conditions including that he reside at a particular secure aged care facility.