British grandfather David Hunter has admitted he “helped” end the life of his terminally ill wife, Janice, during her murder trial in Cyprus.
Hunter, 76, told the court that his wife “cried and begged” for him to end her life as she became progressively more ill with blood cancer.
He has been in prison for over a year in Nicosia after admitting to killing Janice, 75, by smothering her in December 2021. They were married for 56 years and he described her as his “best friend”.
David Hunter insists wife ‘begged’ to be killed
Retired miner Hunter said Janice “begged” him to help her end her life for six weeks, and insisted he did not want to kill his wife. He told the court: “I had lived with her for 57 years. Our relationship was perfect. I loved her.” The teenage sweethearts, originally from Ashington, Northumberland, retired to Cyprus after 50 years of marriage.
This is a very sad, very tragic case. David and Janice were in a long-lasting loving marriage.
Hunter said that his wife had been confined to their rented home near Pathos for nearly three years. He added that she was forced to wear nappies due to the side effects of her medication. Hunter also shared that his wife was in “such pain” and had undergone several operations. He added: “In the last week, she was crying and begging me. Every day she asked me a bit more intensely to do it.” Janice also allegedly complained about her “quality of life”. She became “hysterical”, so Hunter agreed to help his wife.
David’s barrister, Michal Polak, said it was time he had “his side of the story heard”. He told the court: “This is a very sad, very tragic case. David and Janice were in a long-lasting loving marriage.”
‘When it finished she was a grey colour’
Earlier today (May 15), the moment that David helped his wife to end her life was revealed in court. Weeping, he said: “57 years. The last thing I would want to do is to kill my wife. It was her decision that she wanted to die, not mine – hers. It was her decision that she didn’t want any more treatment.
“I didn’t just decide to kill her. I loved her so much and I still love her. You don’t know what we went through. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Recalling his wife crying, he said: “The next thing I knew I put my hands here [over her nose and mouth] and when it finished she was a grey colour. She didn’t look like my wife at all. It was the first time I cried after many years.”
He could face life in prison
Hunter is on trial for the pre-meditated murder of Janice but insists it was her wish to die and that he had not planned the act. He is now facing the possibility of life in prison. Hunter tried to take his own life by overdosing on prescription pills after confessing to his brother what had happened. As a result, police in Cyprus found him slumped in a chair next to his wife’s body.
Hunter also told the courts that Janice’s sister had cancer and died 30 years earlier. Janice allegedly told him: “If I ever have this illness I don’t want to live.” When he was shown images of the crime scenes, Hunter also broke down, claiming he “couldn’t remember” anything he told anyone that night. He also told the courts he attempted to take his own life as he “didn’t want to live any more” after what had happened.
Speaking earlier this year with ITV News, David and Janice’s daughter pleaded for her father to be released from prison. Lesley Hunter told them: “He loved her completely. It just breaks my heart to think they were together for 56 years and now this has happened to my dad. And I know my mum would be appalled.”
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