David Hunter not guilty of murdering terminally ill wife in Cyprus but convicted of manslaughter
David Hunter has been cleared of murdering his terminally ill wife in Cyprus but found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Janice Hunter, 74, died of asphyxiation at the couple’s retirement home near Paphos in December 2021.
Hunter, a 75-year-old former coal miner from Northumberland, admitted killing his wife but denied murder.
He told a Cyprus court she had blood cancer and “begged him” to take her life because she was in so much pain.
The couple’s daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, told Sky News: “I’m incredibly relieved that it’s manslaughter rather than murder.
“It’s the best we could have hoped for in the circumstances and I really hope the judges can extend their compassion and be lenient in their sentencing.”
In May, Hunter broke down as he testified he would “never in a million years” have killed Janice unless she had asked him to.
“She wasn’t just my wife, she was my best friend,” he said.
“For five or six weeks before she died she was asking me to help her. She was asking me more every day,” he said.
“In the last week she was crying and begging me. Every day she asked me a bit more intensely to do it.”
He said he had hoped she would change her mind, but that he finally complied and covered her mouth and nose after she became “hysterical”.
Hunter’s confession was deemed as being lawfully obtained and allowed as evidence, despite opposition from the defence.
A deal to reduce the charge to manslaughter collapsed last year after prosecutors demanded proof that his wife had asked him to kill her.
The couple were married for 52 years
During the trial, a judge also dismissed a request to allow evidence from a psychiatrist who said Hunter was suffering dissociation at the time of the incident.
The court found he was lucid, demonstrated by the fact he took pills and called his brother after killing his wife.
A three-judge panel delivered the verdict in Paphos on Friday and he will be sentenced on 27 July.
His legal team said the manslaughter verdict means it’s possible he could get a suspended sentence and avoid jail.
Lesley Cawthorne pictured with her parents at Lake Garda in 1988. Pic: Lesley Cawthorne
“This remains a tragic case,” said campaign group Justice Abroad.
“Janice and David were in a loving relationship for over 50 years and it is clear that David did what he did out of love for Janice upon her request.
“We strongly believe that no proper purpose would be served by David spending any further time within Nicosia prison.”
Mrs Cawthorne previously said that as well as terminal blood cancer, her mother had ailments including painful rheumatoid arthritis, skin cancer and cataracts.
“She didn’t want a long, protracted death. She’d had enough and she just wanted to go,” she said.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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