Woman killed by husband in 'assisted suicide' may not have been terminally ill
A British expat claims he killed his dying wife out of mercy in an assisted suicide - but a doctor says she may not have been terminally ill.
David Hunter, 75, is in court in Paphos, Cyprus, charged with the murder of Janice Hunter at their home in the same city.
The former coal miner, originally from Northumberland, claims his wife, also 75, begged him to end her life.
Hunter had initially said that Janice was suffering from terminal leukaemia, but a doctor has now told the court that she actually had a rare form of blood cancer.
Haematologist Dr Ourania Seimeni said Janice had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is not necessarily terminal, but admitted that 30 per cent of cases can lead to leukaemia.
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David Hunter and his late wife Janice (Albanpix.com)Another doctor at court, Dr Andreas Pantelides, argued that the figure was higher at around 45 per cent of cases.
Dr Seimeni said she was unable to confirm her patient's exact life expectancy.
Hunter had tried to plead to a lesser charge of manslaughter in December, but the case collapsed and he is now in the dock for murder.
Earlier this year, Hunter's daughter gave details about her family's "nightmare" in an exclusive interview with The Mirror.
Hunter admitted manslaughter but not murder (Daily Mirror)Lesley Hunter explained how the court in Cyrpus had ruled his confession was obtained lawfully and can be used as evidence for the trial.
His lawyer said David knew he was in “no fit state to be interviewed” at the time of the incident in December 2021, when he also tried to take his own life.
The defence team had previously shown videos in court of the horrifying moment David’s daughter Lesley spoke to her father on a video call in the immediate aftermath of her mother’s death.
The couple on their wedding day (PA)
Hunter's legal team claimed a confession obtained was not legally admissible because he was not allowed to speak with a psychiatrist while suicidal (Daily Mirror)The pensioner’s defence team had argued his confession should be inadmissible as evidence in the trial, claiming he was not provided with his right to a lawyer or to remain silent before statements were taken from him when he was arrested on suspicion of killing Janice, 75, who had terminal blood cancer.
They had previously called a forensic psychiatrist to give evidence, who said that David was suffering from dissociation at the time, and that statements made to medical professionals should be inadmissible against him.
He had also received no psychiatric assessment before interviews took place.
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The court found that David was lucid and aware of what was happening, shown by the fact that he took pills and called his brother after killing Janice. His legal team say they will appeal at the country’s Supreme Court in capital Nicosia.
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