A British expatriate living in Cyprus, who was convicted of causing the death of his terminally ill wife, has passed away in a hospital, as confirmed by his family.
David Hunter, aged 78, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2023 for suffocating his wife Janice, aged 74, at their residence in Tremithousa, near Paphos, in December 2021. Janice, who was battling terminal blood cancer, had reportedly pleaded with Hunter for weeks to assist in ending her life.
His daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, 53, announced today that her father had died in a Cypriot hospital. Hunter, a former coal miner hailing from Ashington, Northumberland, had been experiencing deteriorating health conditions since his release from prison three years ago.
Reportedly hospitalized this week due to a urinary tract infection, Hunter’s sudden demise was disclosed by Lesley. Following Janice’s death, he served a two-year jail term and was released in the summer of 2023 after factoring in time served.
He chose to remain on the island to be near his late wife’s grave in Tremithousa. The couple had been married for 52 years and had retired to Cyprus in 2002.
Expressing deep sorrow, Lesley, residing in Norwich, stated, “We are devastated, and the support we have received over the past few years has been invaluable to us.”
The attorney general of Cyprus had challenged both the manslaughter conviction and the sentencing of Hunter, leading to additional court proceedings.
During his trial in Paphos, it was revealed that after ending Janice’s life, Hunter attempted to take his own life but was intercepted by police officers following alerts from Interpol, after he informed his family about the incident.
The controversial case garnered global attention, sparking discussions on the topic of mercy killing.
