In a case that garnered worldwide attention, a British man residing in a retirement home in Cyprus was sentenced by the court to two years in prison for causing the death of his wife. The man, 76-year-old David Hunter, took this extreme step to spare his wife, Janice, from the agony of her illness. However, on Monday, prison authorities decided to release him, taking into account the time he had already spent in custody since the incident in December 2021.
The court had earlier found Hunter guilty of manslaughter. Janice was suffering from a blood ailment, which she feared might develop into full-blown leukemia, and this unbearable pain drove Hunter to take the drastic action. State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou explained that the court acknowledged Hunter’s motivation as an “act of love,” attempting to spare his wife from a painful death.
During the trial, the court took into account Hunter’s age and the absence of any prior criminal record. Originally charged with premeditated murder, Hunter was eventually convicted of manslaughter in a ruling on July 21. The court concluded that the prosecution could not convincingly prove premeditation in his actions.
Witnesses testified that Janice had repeatedly implored her husband to end her life due to the fear of suffering the same fate as her sister, who had died from the same disease. After suffocating his wife, Hunter attempted to take his own life by ingesting a large quantity of pills, but medical personnel intervened and saved him.
News by Breaking911
