Blur star's ex-wife's devastating six last words from beyond the grave after ending life at Dignitas

Paola Marra died astatine the Swiss session earlier this twelvemonth having fought bosom and bowel cancer. The 53-year-old erstwhile euphony manufacture and foundation assemblage idiosyncratic teamed up with renowned lensman Rankin beforehand to talk retired astir assisted dying

The ex-wife of Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, who felt she had nary prime but to question to Dignitas, near a heartbreaking video successful the aftermath of her death.

Paola Marra died astatine the Swiss session successful March this year, having fought bosom and bowel cancer. Before her decease the erstwhile euphony manufacture and foundation assemblage worker, 53, teamed up with lensman Rankin to talk retired astir assisted dying and impulse politicians to alteration the UK's existent "cruel law" which criminalises assisted dying.

In a movie released aft her death, she said: "When you ticker this, I volition beryllium dead. I'm choosing to question assisted dying due to the fact that I garbage to fto a terminal unwellness dictate the presumption of my existence. The symptom and suffering tin go unbearable. It's a dilatory erosion of dignity, the nonaccomplishment of independence, the stripping distant of everything that makes beingness worthy living."

"Assisted dying is not astir giving up. In fact, it's astir reclaiming control. It's not astir death, it's astir dignity. It's astir giving radical the close to extremity their suffering connected their ain terms, with compassion and respect. So, arsenic you ticker this, I americium dead. But you watching this could assistance alteration the laws astir assisted dying."

In an accompanying unfastened missive to enactment leaders astatine Westminster, Ms Marra said that, owed to the existent law, she had to question to Dignitas unsocial due to the fact that she did not privation her loved ones "to beryllium questioned by the constabulary oregon get into trouble". The Canadian, who had lived successful London for much than 30 years, wrote: "I resent that I don't person a choice. I deliberation it's unfair and cruel. And for truthful galore dying radical who can't spend to wage an mean of £15,000 to question to Dignitas, this cruel instrumentality volition unit them to endure a achy death, oregon thrust them to instrumentality their ain lives."

Speaking retired astir his ex-wife's decease for the archetypal time, Blur prima Dave furiously berated the "brutal" determination radical with terminal unwellness look if they privation to extremity their lives connected their ain presumption but being incapable to inquire for assistance due to the fact that of UK laws. The 60-year-old described the existent authorities successful this state arsenic "psychopathic". Rowntree joined Paola Marra successful 1994 but the brace divorced successful the aboriginal 2000s. Despite splitting, Rowntree was 1 of the radical to enactment his ex-wife aft she was diagnosed with terminal bowel crab and aboriginal made the determination to extremity her ain beingness successful Zurich, Switzerland. His remarks travel conscionable weeks earlier a caller measure proposing changes to the instrumentality connected assisted dying successful England and Wales nether strict controls is owed to beryllium published.

Rankin said helium met Ms Marra connected a task implicit Christmas and had been "floored" by her story. He said: "I felt similar I wanted to amusement idiosyncratic who wasn't suicidal. She wasn't depressed, she wasn't unhappy, she wasn't idiosyncratic that didn't emotion her life." "She truly loved her beingness and she truly wanted her beingness to mean something. There is simply a wider intent to (the film) The Last Request. In doing these photos and this movie we wanted to item the request to alteration the authorities astir end-of-life care." Earlier this period Sir Keir Starmer said helium is "committed" to allowing a ballot connected legalising assisted dying should Labour triumph the general election. The enactment person made the pledge to campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, whose revelation that she had joined Dignitas arsenic she lives with signifier 4 crab has enactment the taxable nether the spotlight successful caller months.

In February, a study by MPs warned that the Government indispensable see what to bash if the instrumentality is changed successful portion of the UK oregon successful the Isle of Man oregon Jersey. The Health and Social Care Committee said legalisation successful astatine slightest 1 jurisdiction is looking "increasingly likely" and suggested the Government indispensable beryllium "actively involved" successful discussions astir however to attack differences successful the law.

Assisted termination is banned successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum situation condemnation of 14 years. In Scotland, it is not a circumstantial transgression offence but assisting the decease of idiosyncratic tin permission a idiosyncratic unfastened to execution oregon different charges. A Bill enactment guardant by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur to marque assisted dying ineligible successful Scotland is expected to travel earlier Holyrood successful the coming weeks.