26 October 2023 , 18:23
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The daughter of a retired miner freed over the mercy killing of his wife has called prosecutors cruel for appealing his sentence.
David Hunter, 76, was handed two years in jail for manslaughter in July after admitting suffocating Janice, 75, his wife of 52 years, who was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer. He walked free 15 minutes after the judges’ ruling due to time already served and good behaviour.
But the prosecution is challenging the sentence handed out at Paphos district court in Cyprus, taking its case to the Court of Appeal in the capital Nicosia. Mr Hunter’s daughter Lesley Cawthorne hit out at the move yesterday, saying her dad lives a very quiet life and visits her mum’s grave every day.
Lesley Cawthorne (BBC)She told the Mirror: “We’re looking at putting an elderly, frail man through another six months of stress and it’s the last thing he needs. Justice has already been served by a panel of three judges who know the case inside out, so the continued persecution of my dad seems cruel and unnecessary.
“It’s almost two years since Mum died and my family has been through hell. We just want to be left in peace to grieve and rebuild our lives.” Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, which is representing Mr Hunter, said the appeal hearing is likely to take place in April or May.
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He added: “We thought that the legal proceedings were over for him. For anyone, but especially someone of David’s age, it is obviously very stressful to have the possibility of being sent back to prison for life hanging over their head. We will continue to fight for David.” Three judges in Paphos accepted Mr Hunter had spontaneously acted “out of love” for his wife at their home there in 2021.