A choose messaged colleagues to say he could not make work tomorrow after he “lost it” and killed his spouse, based on prosecutors.

Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, is claimed to have drunkenly texted a courtroom clerk and bailiff minutes after the alleged homicide, telling them: “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.”

The couple have been arguing at a restaurant on 3 August and the row continued after they acquired to their residence in Anaheim Hills in California‘s Orange County, courtroom papers declare.

The choose is claimed to have pulled a pistol from his ankle holster and shot his spouse Sheryl after she mentioned one thing to the impact of: “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?”

The couple’s grownup son referred to as 911, based on the courtroom submitting, with Ferguson smelling of alcohol when police arrived and telling them: “Oh man I can’t believe I did this.”

A complete of 47 legally owned weapons and 26,000 rounds of ammunition have been discovered at his residence.

Ferguson has been charged with homicide however was freed a day after the taking pictures on $1m (£787,000) bail – as prosecutors attempt to get him to give up his passport and weapons and put on an ankle tag.

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Ferguson’s attorneys issued an announcement calling it a “tragedy for the entire Ferguson family” and mentioned “it was an accident and nothing more”.

Ferguson has been a choose since 2015 and offers with felony instances within the Orange County metropolis of Fullerton.

He will subsequent seem in courtroom for his arraignment on 1 September.