Joanne Hussey, 33, was charged with murder after her 77-year-old grandmother Annie Garbutt, of The Clough, Battyeford, was found dead at her home on May 7 last year.

Hussey pleaded not guilty to murder before Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Hussey has also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Prosecuting, James Goss QC said Hussey's motive was financial.

He said she had initially told police she had gone to her grandmother's, who had Alzheimer's, to get her mobile phone and had found her dead on the bed in two pools of blood.

But she later admitted she had killed Mrs Garbutt with a spade, and imaginary voices had told her to do it.

He told the jury Hussey had suffered from depression but was not mentally unwell at the time – a claim her defence denies.

The court heard Mrs Garbutt had been living alone since the death of her husband Joseph in 1996.

She had one daughter, the defendant's mother, Maureen, and a grandson, the defendant's brother, Richard.

She began to suffer from dementia and had given power of attorney to Maureen.

Her deteriorating condition meant it was likely she would have to go into residential care, and Hussey was worried about the cost.

Mr Goss said Hussey was overheard by her partner Gary Burchon telling a friend it would be better if her grandmother, who doted on Joanne, 'just fell down the stairs'.

At the time of the killing Hussey was living at Grange Mount, Yeadon, with her daughter Josephine, 11, who was severely mentally disabled.

A week before the killing Joanne sent a text message to a boyfriend telling him she had found her grandmother dead and needed a shoulder to cry on.

Mr Goss suggested: "Was it merely a macabre way of seeking attention?"

The court heard on the morning of the killing Hussey had knocked on the door of Mrs Garbutt's neighbour Gillian Fielding Bell.

She told Mrs Fielding Bell she had found her grandmother dead in bed with the walls covered in blood.

Mrs Fielding Bell rang for an ambulance and paramedics found Mrs Garbutt's body.

Hussey was taken away by police for questioning and officers became suspicious of her story. They spent time looking at CCTV footage and noted that her car had been spotted travelling between Mrs Garbutt's house and Yeadon on several occasions between 10pm on May 6 and 5.30am on May 7.

When asked by police Hussey said she had been at home all night.

But she was arrested later that day.

Mr Goss said: "Being aware that the police didn't believe her she began to change her account. On Tuesday May 8 she asked a custody officer 'what if I did it because I have psychiatric problems?'

"As a result she was examined by an expert to assess her state of mind.

"The defendant said she had been hearing voices in her head for two weeks telling her to get rid of bad people. They had told her to get rid of Grandma.

"This was the first time she had mentioned hearing voices to anybody."

THE court case continues – check our websites for further updates.