Court overturns prison sentence for Briton who killed his seriously ill wife

A British citizen, 76-year-old David Hunter, helped his seriously ill wife to die. He was sentenced to two years in prison for manslaughter. On July 31, the Cypriot court released him from custody due to the time already served, reports Guardian.

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A 76-year-old former Northumberland miner has admitted to strangling Janice, his 52-year-old wife who had blood cancer, in their Cyprus home after she "begged him" to help her die.

Relief or Kill

Hunter and his wife first met as teenagers and have been together for over 50 years. They moved to Cyprus hoping for a dream life by the sea. But Janice's death led to nearly two years of legal torment for Hunter in a country where euthanasia is illegal and considered taboo.

Throughout the case, the Briton was supported by the couple's only daughter, Leslie Cawthorne. She spoke of her father's position when her mother, ill with leukemia and unable to move, begged him to spare her what had become unbearable suffering.

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On December 18, 2021, Hunter finally granted this request. He strangled his wife in their country house outside Paphos, a coastal resort town popular with British immigrants. He then attempted suicide after calling his brother in the UK to explain what had happened. He swallowed pills, but the arriving doctors saved Hunter.

Hunter said in court that "never in a million years" would he strangle his wife, with whom he lived for 52 years, if she had not asked him to.

The court noted that Ms. Hunter "wanted" to die and that her husband "loved her".

At his trial, he testified holding his wife's mouth and nose with his hands, and said that he eventually decided to grant her wish after she had a "hysteria".

Earlier, State Attorney Andreas Hadjikirou said Hunter killed his wife for "selfish motives," adding, "He took care of himself."

He told the court that Janice died of strangulation and that it was a "terrible death" and her end was not "painless and peaceful".

Prosecutors said Janice visited the hairdresser every two weeks, which they say proves she had a social life and looked after herself.

In sentencing Hunter, Judge Michalis Drussiotis said the court was "faced with an atypical case."

“This is a crime against life, which is the highest value. Taking her away is a crime,” he said. “But we have before us a unique case when a life was taken because of a feeling of love in order to free a person from the suffering that the disease caused him.”

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Exemption

Hunter spent 19 months in custody. He lost a lot of weight during this time. The man spent eight months sharing a cell with 11 other men at Nicosia Central Prison, the Mediterranean island's only prison. On July 31, he was told that he would be released immediately because, according to the Cypriot legal system, where 10 months count as a year's prison sentence, he had served the remainder of his sentence.

“He was charged with premeditated murder, carrying a life sentence, and his life would have ended here in prison in Cyprus. Then two weeks ago the verdict was changed to manslaughter,” said defense attorney Michael Polak.

Defense lawyers during the trial provided information on extensive jurisprudence from around the world, from Australia to Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

“We are very pleased with the court verdict. The verdict was not easy given that such a case had never before been heard by the Cypriot courts,” he said.

"This was a tragic case and difficult for everyone involved, but today's decision was the right one and allows David and his family to grieve together," the lawyer said.

“When someone asks you to kill them because they feel so much pain, it can be a very difficult decision to make,” Polak added. “We all hope that we never have to make such a decision in our lives.”

“I thought I had lost him forever. I can not believe this. It's amazing. I do not know what to say. When I see him, I will hug him and never, ever let him go,” Cawthorn said. “I’m going to feed him and make sure he eats and I’m just going to hug him so tight.”

“I am happy and relieved that my beloved dad has been released. Today we begin to build our lives again,” she said.

"Dad's release also means we can finally mourn my mom's passing, I hope people will respect our privacy while we come to terms with her loss," Cawthorn said. “So many people worked hard and supported us to bring my dad home, I can’t remember everyone here, but you know who I mean and you know how grateful we are.”

Asked by journalists at the court how he feels, Hunter said: “I can’t describe it. I'm sorry. I wish I could, I wish I could find the words to describe it, but I can't. When you're under pressure for two years not knowing how things will go."

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Hunter said during the often emotional hearing that if he was ever released, he would first visit his wife's grave in the cemetery on the outskirts of the village where she died. “I want to stay in Cyprus,” he said. “This is the country we chose to move to, and I want to be close to it.”

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