Court heard his motive was to ‘liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions’
A British man has been jailed by judges in Cyprus for the manslaughter of his terminally ill wife who ‘begged him’ to do it.
David Hunter, 76, had been on trial for killing his spouse of 52 years, Janice, who died of asphyxiation at their home near the coastal resort town of Paphos in December 2021.
The pensioner, from Ashington, Northumberland, was cleared of the more serious charge of premeditated murder after telling the court she ‘cried and begged’ him to end her life as she suffered from blood cancer.
But he was jailed for two years today at the court in Cyprus.
However, due to time spent on remand he will be released on August 18 at the latest, according to his lawyer Michael Polak.
This means he will walk within just weeks because he has already spent 19 months behind bars and in prison in Cyprus ten months is the equivalent of a year. His lawyer added with good behaviour he could be out earlier.
His legal team had argued that he should be given a suspended sentence and that there is ‘no point in keeping him in prison any longer’.
Prior to passing the sentence, the judge said that they had to take into account future cases. Speaking through a translator, ITV reported they said: ‘There may never have been a case like this in Cyprus.
‘We have no doubt many people are crippled by difficulties of life including health issues. The message to society cannot be taking away human life – even with intention of relieving suffering- it’s a crime.’
The couple’s daughter Lesley Cawthorne earlier said the family was ‘apprehensive’ ahead of the sentencing hearing.
She said: ‘We are hoping for time served or a suspended sentence but are very aware that there’s a chance he’ll remain in custody. We’re not counting our chickens.’
Ms Cawthorne said her father had been ‘quietly relieved’ since last week’s verdict, but was ‘not especially’ hopeful about his sentence.
Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, which is representing Hunter, said: ‘Last week the court found in David’s favour on all matters including that Janice had requested that he help her die, that he had acted because of his love for her, and that he then tried to end his own life.
‘We will be submitting to the court that a suspended sentence is appropriate in this case, given the type of offence, David’s age, the fact that he has spent 19 months in custody, and his previous good character.
‘There is no point in keeping David in prison any longer. In May, Hunter broke down in tears as he told his trial, which lasted more than a year, that he would “never in a million years” have taken his wife’s life unless she had asked him to.’
He added: ‘She wasn’t just my wife, she was my best friend.’
Hunter, who has been in custody for 19 months, showed the court how he held his hands over his wife’s mouth and nose and said he eventually decided to grant his wife’s wish after she became ‘hysterical’.
State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou argued that the Hunters’ case ‘was not one of euthanasia’.
David, who has survived on little more than olives and beans for 19 months in a Nicosia prison, has appeared increasingly frail.
