'Mum begged to be suffocated to death - she should have had choice to die in dignity'

David Hunter spent 18-months successful jailhouse aft suffocating his woman Janice successful their status location successful Cyprus astatine her request, arsenic she battled terminal humor cancer

A Brit who suffocated his terminally sick woman successful a mercy sidesplitting is hoping MPs time backmost the assisted dying bill.

In 2021 David Hunter, present 77, suffocated his woman Janice successful their status location successful Paphos, Cyprus, astatine her request, arsenic she battled terminal humor cancer.

After 18-months successful jailhouse helium was released past twelvemonth upon being convicted of manslaughter, but present faces an entreaty from the country’s prosecutors.

His girl Lesley Cawthorne, 52, said had determination been assisted dying laws successful spot successful the UK she believes her parents would person travel location to instrumentality vantage of them.

“If she’d person been good capable past I deliberation they would person travel back,” Lesley said. “We’ve seen with my parents however it truly tin each extremity successful calamity and determination are truthful galore instances of termination erstwhile terminally sick radical consciousness they person nary different option. Most radical can’t spend to spell to Dignitas.

“My dada truly wants the instrumentality to alteration and doesn’t privation different household to find themselves successful the aforesaid presumption helium was in. It volition hap again, different mates volition find themselves successful that position.

“For idiosyncratic similar my mum, it’s not that she needed amended symptom alleviation - that would not person fixed her power of her bowels oregon the quality to swallow. She conscionable wanted to spell with dignity.”

David inactive lives successful Cyprus and fears coming home, believing helium volition not beryllium fto backmost into Cyprus wherever his woman is buried should helium leave. In July past twelvemonth David was cleared of premeditated execution and recovered blameworthy of manslaughter but was released connected clip served.

David told Paphos District Court during his proceedings that helium smothered puerility sweetheart Janice, 74, aft she had begged him for weeks to extremity her beingness specified was her suffering from terminal humor cancer.

He broke down successful tears successful the tribunal arsenic helium remembered however Janice “cried and begged” for him to termination her arsenic she became much ill. He refused to bash truthful until 1 time helium agreed successful the anticipation it would calm her. He insisted helium had nary volition of carrying retired the act.

But 9 days later, connected December 18 2021, David pressed his hands implicit his wife’s rima and nose. David wept arsenic helium told the tribunal past year: “Fifty 7 years - the past happening I would privation to bash is to termination my wife.

“It was her determination that she wanted to die, not excavation - hers. It was her determination that she didn’t privation immoderate much treatment. She has her ain caput and she asked me. I would ne'er successful a cardinal years person done it. She wasn’t conscionable my woman - she was my champion friend. I didn’t conscionable determine to termination her. I loved her truthful much. I inactive emotion her. You don’t cognize what we went through. I wouldn’t privation it connected anyone.”