A British man has walked free after killing his terminally ill wife.
It’s been over two years since David Hunter was imprisoned for the manslaughter of his late wife Janice, with the 76-year-old revealing that his spouse ‘cried and begged’ him to do it as she suffered from blood cancer.
The ex-miner has since been released from a Cypriot prison, with his family saying they can finally ‘grieve’ their loss.
In the days prior to his release, Hunter had been on trial for the death of his wife – who died from asphyxiation in December 2021.
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At the time, the couple lived near the serene resort of Paphos when Mrs Hunter was suffering from blood cancer.
The court then heard that the woman ‘cried and begged’ for her husband to end her life and even became ‘hysterical’ during the heart-breaking case.
They were then told that it had been Mrs Hunter’s ‘wish’ to die and that her husband ‘only had feelings of love’ for his late wife having been married for more than 50 years.
His defence, Ritsa Pekri, also told those present that Mr Hunter’s motive had been to ‘liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions’.
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Because of this, the retired miner was then convicted of manslaughter but later released due to the 19 months he’d already spent in prison.
Appearing outside the court, the emotional man told the press: “I can’t describe it. I’m sorry. I wish I could, I wish I could find words to describe it but I can’t.”
His daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, also said that the news would allow the family to ‘grieve’ after years of campaigning and fundraising to cover legal costs.
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“I’m elated and relieved that my darling dad has been released,” she said, adding: “The past 19 months have been a living nightmare for our family but today is the start of us being able to rebuild our lives.”
“Dad’s release also means we can finally grieve for my mum and I hope everyone can respect our privacy whilst we take the time to come to terms with her loss.”
Ms Cawthorne went on to thank those who’d supported her dad, saying his release felt like her ‘heart had been put back together’.
Michael Polak of Justice Abroad, who’d also been representing the Hunter said that the group was ‘very pleased’ with the sentence.
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“This has been a tragic case and difficult for all of those involved with it, but today’s decision was the right one and allows David and his family to grieve together,” he told press.
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