British husband to face murder charges after all ( UPDATED )

[Poppy]

I agree with Dee. A friend of ours knew this lovely couple in Cyprus and said they were devoted. Additionally the daughter lives near me in Northumberland. His family completely support him which I am sure they would not had they felt there was anything odd. It is very easy to say what you would or would not have done but you need to have been in that position to know.

[Firefly]

It's all a very sad state of affairs.

Things may become clearer during Mr hunter's trial.

Poppy, you are correct, until one is placed in this position, non of us know how we would act.

[jeba]

When my mother was terminally ill we had to leave Cyprus for Germany to have the legal option of assisted suicide. However, I managed to convince the hospital to keep her under anesthesia for her last weeks (with her consent, of course). That way I didn't have to help her administer any lethal drugs myself, which I found more difficult than I'd have thought as long as it hadn't been an imminent decision to take.

[Kili01]

Jeba, how right you are. I could not have given my poor husband a drug to end his life...
While he was still bed bound but living at home, a cancer nurse asked me, an unqualified person with no medical training if I would inject him with morphine doses. What added more to my horror was that the morphine which had to be stored in our house, was not even in vials which were his correct dose. I refused, no way could I do this risky treatment myself.
I felt so upset.. In my view Euthanasia should be legalised, but must be administered by a qualified nurse or a doctor, with all the required permissions from the patient,his family, and checks to prevent any possible mis- use of Class A drugs.

In view of the situation in Cyprus regarding any attempts to end a life, I am also convinced now, if I needed to be, that I made the right decision.

Those people on here who have just hard and unyielding views on this subject need to think how they would react if faced with a terminally ill loved one... who is suffering so badly.
Dee

[Firefly]

Dee

My husband was nursed here at home by myself, and the Hospice At Home team, in the UK. I had spent a good part of my life nursing within the NHS, and I was prepared to give my husband the morphine injections he needed, that said, the team refused to allow me to do so.

In hindsight, I now realise that it was probably for the best. In your case Dee, were you in Cyprus? I find it surprising that you were asked to administer morphine, as you had no experience of giving injections.

I totally agree that Euthanasia should be legalised, my husband took matters into his own hands, by firstly refusing food, and then fluids. He knew exactly what he was doing, but it was terrible to watch the strong man I knew, become a shadow of his former self.

Jackie

[Dominic]

I have had to remove two more post from people who were getting far too personal. Honestly you two, this site has a block user facility. For your own sakes, use it.

[Kili01]

Maybe you could also remove posts from a certain person who seems to enjoy stirring.In fact

I have just seen a report about David Hunter's case on BBC evening tv news.It seems that the way he is being treated, long incarceration in prison, endless court appearances, his age and so on. His family are now very concerned about his health and the way he isn't being listened to.
Maybe British lawyers are getting involved.
Let's hope that something will happen soon to mitigate his likeky sentence.
Dee

[Dominic]

I did. That is why two posts were removed. Yours and his.

[Kili01]

Thanks, Dominic.i'm glad that you took necessary action. Stopped this person from winding me up.

[memory man]

Briton who killed wife ‘did everything he could to help her’

Retired British miner David Hunter did everything he could to help his terminally ill wife Janice as her condition deteriorated in the last few years of her life and became increasingly depressed, Paphos criminal court heard on Tuesday.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/05/23/brit ... -help-her/

[memory man]

Trial of UK man accused of murdering wife postponed

David Hunter’s trial was postponed for a week on Thursday, after his defence asked for more time to prepare their closing arguments.

Paphos criminal court was due to hear the closing arguments from both defence and prosecution over the ongoing trial, where Hunter faces premeditated murder charges for killing his wife Janice Hunter who had cancer.

His wife was 74 when in December 2021, he suffocated her to death in their Tremithousa home.

David Hunter, now 76, took the stand last month and told the court he never wanted to kill her and only caved in after she repeatedly begged him to take her life for weeks. He then took “every pill in the house” to kill himself but his attempts were thwarted after police showed up at the door.

They had been alerted by Interpol Manchester, after Hunter’s brother notified them.

Janice Hunter suffered from cancer and a host of witnesses including her hairdresser and neighbour testified she was visibly unwell and became withdrawn as her suffering worsened.

David Hunter said his wife eventually could not leave the house as she had to wear diapers for around three years as one of the side effects of her medication was diarrhoea.

“I had no intention to kill her. I was hoping something good would happen, a small miracle. That she would change her mind. She kept asking me after that and crying. I didn’t want to kill my wife; I loved her so much.”

The defence on Thursday said it needed more time to prepare the closing arguments. Prosecution raised no objections. The development marks yet another delay amid a host of postponements, as Hunter awaits to find out his sentence.

Should he be found guilty of premeditated murder, he will face a life sentence.

The new court has been set of June 29.

Earlier in the trial process, it was initially hoped Hunter would face manslaughter charges as opposed to premeditated murder, though court finally moved to go with the latter.

Prosecution attorney Andreas Hadjikyrou cast doubt on whether the killing had been agreed upon, saying that while Hunter may have killed his wife out of pity, that does not mean she had consented to it.

The justification was that there was no physical or verbal proof of the agreement, either by way of a note or through conversations with her daughter. As pointed out in court, accepting this could set a precedent for future crimes on trial.

“It is unclear whether this agreement really took place,” he said, accusing Hunter’s lawyers of unethical behaviour by “agreeing to one thing one day, and saying another thing before the court”.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/06/22/murd ... postponed/

[jeba]

Prosecution attorney Andreas Hadjikyrou cast doubt on whether the killing had been agreed upon, saying that while Hunter may have killed his wife out of pity, that does not mean she had consented to it.

The justification was that there was no physical or verbal proof of the agreement, either by way of a note or through conversations with her daughter. As pointed out in court, accepting this could set a precedent for future crimes on trial.

What happened to "in dubio pro reo"?

[WHL]

Prosecution attorney Andreas Hadjikyrou cast doubt on whether the killing had been agreed upon, saying that while Hunter may have killed his wife out of pity, that does not mean she had consented to it.

The justification was that there was no physical or verbal proof of the agreement, either by way of a note or through conversations with her daughter. As pointed out in court, accepting this could set a precedent for future crimes on trial.

What happened to "in dubio pro reo"?

The judge should always rule on the facts in front of them, no more no less.

[Kili01]

"The quality of mercy is not strained, it dropeth as the gentle rain from heaven..."
How true. But no mercy is being shown by the judiciary here.

If the poor lady was anything like my husband was, in her terminal days, she might well have been unable to even hold a pen, let alone write the required suicide note.... The stress levels of both may be a reason if one is needed why she didn't or couldn't do it.

Dee

[memory man]

Hunter trial: no other cases similar to this in Cyprus’ legal history

David Hunter suffocating his wife was an act of love and mercy, his defence told court on Thursday, while the prosecution sought to tear down the argument, saying Hunter had given her a horrible and painful death which was certainly premeditated.

Both prosecution and defence presented their final legal arguments to Paphos criminal court during Thursday’s hearing, before the judges make a decision on the verdict.

“The facts of this case concern a crime of love and mercy,” said Ritsa Pekri, on Hunter’s defence team, making a brief statement and submitting the arguments in writing.

“There are no other cases similar to this in Cyprus’ legal history.”

She stressed there was no testimony throughout the trial that indicated violence between Hunter, 76, and his 74-year-old wife Janice Hunter, or that they did not love each other.

“No witness statements indicated he was fed up of taking care of his wife. Everyone said they loved each other and he looked after his wife.”

Hunter is currently on trial for the premeditated murder of his wife in December 2021. He has always maintained he killed her in their Tremithousa home to put an end to her suffering, as she lived with the painful consequences of her cancer.

State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou made a number of arguments before the judges, saying that if it were accepted that Hunter had a deal with his wife that he would kill her, this was evidence that it was premeditated.

Defence had posited this deal could not point towards premeditation as he only agreed to placate his wife.

Furthermore, Hadjikyrou exclaimed Hunter had lied in court when he previously stated his wife had not resisted as he suffocated her to death.

“Why didn’t you ask her before killing her? Why didn’t you give her the chance to change her mind?”

Hadjikyrou stated the state pathologist’s report revealed Hunter had resisted during the killing. Even if it was instinctive, the prosecutor accused Hunter of lying to the court when he previously stated “she just turned her head” during the ordeal.

“This is a lie. He said this lie to present to court that Janice wanted to be killed. That she consented to it and didn’t react.”

In light of the autopsy report that showed she resisted her death, “why did you keep at it for 10 minutes? She was there fighting back and shaking for 10 minutes. If you saw her resisting, why didn’t you stop and ask her what she wanted?”

Sitting in the courtroom in his black T-shirt, Hunter shook his head vehemently and was heard mumbling “rubbish”.

Hunter’s defence told the court Hunter had never denied the killing but the charge he should be facing is manslaughter because there was no proof of a concrete plan of him planning it out.

“He acted impulsively, and took that decision in that moment” on December 18, 2021 when he killed her, Pekri told court.

She stressed the two had discussed the possibility and pointed to the fact that after he killed her “he consumed every pill in the house” to try and kill himself.

“He did not go out to buy medicine that would guarantee he would die – he took what he found in the house.”

The prosecutor stated Hunter had changed his tune to suit whatever direction the court proceedings took, and cited Janice Hunter’s doctor’s testimony who had previously testified her patient was not terminally ill nor did she have leukemia, but instead MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), a rare type of blood cancer.

“What respite from pain did he offer her, when the way in which he killed her was more horrible than what she lived through?” Hadjikyrou said.

He said it was apparent that it was Hunter who could no longer bear to see his wife suffer but it was a decision he took so he would no longer have to witness her pain.

“Hunter’s excessive love to his wife, stripped Janice’s oxygen from her.”

The fact that he tried to kill himself afterwards was no indication that it was not premeditated, he added.

Hadjikyrou also quoted Hunter’s earlier testimony that he chose to suffocate her to death rather than give her pills because she was not capable of swallowing them.

“He thought of this, weighed it and decided what method to go for. Is this not an indication of premeditation?

The verdict will be announced on July 21 at Paphos criminal court.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/06/29/clos ... ling-wife/


MORE

[galexinda]

“There are no other cases similar to this in Cyprus’ legal history.”

I see this is the problem facing the Cyprus judiciary system.
Hence, the prolonged arguments by defence and prosecution, as the outcome will set a precedent for any similar cases in the future.

[Kili01]

True, but is that really a sufficient reason why Cypriot judges can't differentiate between a premeditated or vengeful violent murder and a-sad case like this one of mercy killingr where one partner was suffering a very painful terminal illness.
Euthanasia is allowed for animals specially when such disease is terminal and very painful. If the vet recommends it.
It should be legalised for humans in such circumstances. With all the necessary safe guards.
If it were, this would avoid the terrible trauma of incidents such as this,
Dee

[WHL]

True, but is that really a sufficient reason why Cypriot judges can't differentiate between a premeditated or vengeful violent murder and a-sad case like this one of mercy killingr where one partner was suffering a very painful terminal illness.
Euthanasia is allowed for animals specially when such disease is terminal and very painful. If the vet recommends it.
It should be legalised for humans in such circumstances. With all the necessary safe guards.
If it were, this would avoid the terrible trauma of incidents such as this,
Dee

You haven't attended one court case of this tial yet you know more then the judges , who have listened to every piece of evidence, ?

[Kili01]

I take the view of Mr Hunter's defence. You & I WHL, will have to agree to respect both sides and evidence in this case.As with a previous one.

Dee

[WHL]

I take the view of Mr Hunter's defence. You & I WHL, will have to agree to respect both sides and evidence in this case.As with a previous one.

Dee

There is the problem you have decided on Mr Hunters innocence with out knowing all the details of the case, Unlike you I trust the court to give a fair hearing to both sides and reach a desicion based on the facts presented to them,