A British expat accused of murdering his terminally unwell spouse in Cyprus has instructed a court docket she “cried and begged” him to assist finish her life.
David Hunter, 75, mentioned his associate Janice, who had blood most cancers, pleaded with him for “five or six weeks” earlier than he ultimately agreed to grant her want.
The retired miner held again tears as he instructed Paphos District Court on Monday: “I didn’t want to do it. I said no.”
But Hunter mentioned he gave in after she grew to become “hysterical” and instructed him: “I can’t go on.”
Wife’s ‘disgrace’ at deteriorating situation
Janice, 74, died of asphyxiation in December 2021 on the couple’s residence close to the coastal resort city of Paphos.
Hunter, initially from Ashington in Northumberland, mentioned the pair had been collectively for 57 years and described their marriage as “perfect”.
But he mentioned his spouse had been housebound for the final three years of her life as her situation deteriorated.
Hunter instructed the court docket she felt “shame” from having to put on nappies, had been unable to maintain herself and misplaced weight after struggling to eat in her closing weeks, when the couple have been sleeping downstairs collectively.
“I felt so helpless and hopeless that I couldn’t do anything for her,” mentioned Hunter.
“For five or six weeks before she died, she was asking me to help her. She was asking me more every day.
“In the final week, she was crying and begging me. Every day, she requested me a bit extra intensely to do it.
“The last week… she said, ‘I can’t go on. This life isn’t for me. We just go to the hospital and stay at home. I don’t have any quality of life, and I’m totally bored of this. I can’t go on’.
“She began changing into hysterical – so I mentioned, ‘Yes, I’ll allow you to’.”
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‘She didn’t try to cease me’
Hunter instructed the court docket he didn’t bear in mind a lot of the day his spouse died.
He recalled: “I went to make a cup of coffee, and she started crying.”
He mentioned his spouse “did not attempt to stop me” from killing her.
Hunter instructed the court docket he tried to take his personal life after Janice died.
When police arrived to quiz him after the try, he instructed officers he “was interested in nothing”.
In his cross-examination, state prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou mentioned: “I put it to you that you had decided to kill her and there was no common consent and that you had to decide what day to kill her on.”
Hunter replied: “No. I never intended to kill her. I had hoped for eight or nine days that she would get better, that she would change her mind.
“She was mendacity down. She was in ache, struggling. I might do something to assist her.
“The last thing on my mind was to take her life. The last thing.”
The trial continues.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can name Samaritans for assistance on 116 123 or electronic mail [email protected] within the UK. In the US, name the Samaritans department in your space or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Source: information.sky.com”