Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide that some readers may find distressing.
Alastair Hamilton, 47, chose to end his life in an assisted dying facility without telling his family, and now they're reflecting on their final moments with him.
Alastair, a Chemistry teacher from Hampton, south-west London, told his family he was flying to Paris to visit a friend on 10 August, 2023.
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In reality, he was going to the Pegasos clinic in Switzerland to end his life via lethal injection, where it is legal to do so.
His mother, Judith, 81, has spoken to ITV about her son and what she considers to be huge failings from the clinic.
Judith reported her son as missing as she had no idea what had happened to him.
The search ended after his bank statements showed he had paid £11,000 to Pegasos to die voluntarily.
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Alastair was struggling with an undiagnosed stomach condition.
His Pegasos application form stated he was living with 'pain, fatigue and discomfort' and it had 'devastated his life'.
He had seen several doctors about his stomach issues but they were unable to diagnose the issue.
It has also been reported by The Telegraph that Alastair "had been battling with low moods before he flew out to the clinic."
They also stated that "he had given up working full-time and moved back in with his parents as he began to lose weight and feel increasingly tired."
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His brother, Toby, 52, told The Mail that Alastair had become flippant when talking about suicide, and mentioned it "like he was talking about going for a pint down the pub."
Judith's reflection on Alastair's life with ITV saw her remembering their final moments together.
She had driven Alastair to Gatwick airport along with her husband Edward, 85, for what they believed was a short trip to France.
She said: "He put his arms around me, looked me straight in the eyes and he was smiling.
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"And he said 'Love you, mum, love you lots, always have, always will no matter what'."
Judith had no inkling this was their last conversation.
She added: "I was so chuffed to think he was picking up his life and getting some enthusiasm, and he was always very affectionate and loving towards me, so it didn't register that these words were his final goodbye."
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Pegasos initially refused to provide police with the date of his death or any other information - devastating his family further.
They finally confirmed Alastair had died on August 14.
Alastair's family were not sent his ashes until October.
They are still yet to receive Alastair's personal items and letters that Pegasos said he had written for them.
According to ITV, Pegasos has since apologised and promised to inform families in the future about the death of relatives.
A Met Police sergeant has criticised Pegasos for its “lack of compassion and lack of transparency”.
The Telegraph further reported that between the years 2016 and 2022, 405 UK residents had assisted deaths in Switzerland - most of them with non-terminal illnesses.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Health, Mental Health, News, ITV
Kya Buller