A British man residing in Cyprus, who was convicted of causing the death of his terminally ill wife, has passed away in a hospital, according to his family. David Hunter, aged 78, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2023 for suffocating his wife Janice, 74, at their residence in Tremithousa, near Paphos, in December 2021. Janice, who was battling terminal blood cancer, had reportedly requested her husband to end her life. Hunter, a former coal miner from Ashington, Northumberland, had been in declining health since his release from prison three years ago.

His daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, confirmed that her father had died in a Cypriot hospital after being admitted due to a urinary tract infection. Following Janice’s demise, Hunter served a two-year prison sentence and was released in the summer of 2023. He chose to stay on the island to be close to his wife’s grave in Tremithousa, where they had settled after retiring in 2002.

Expressing devastation, Lesley from Norwich stated, “We are devastated and the support over the last few years has meant the world to us.” The attorney general of Cyprus had challenged both the manslaughter conviction and the sentencing of Hunter, leading to ongoing court proceedings.

During his trial in Paphos, it was revealed that Hunter had attempted suicide after suffocating his wife but was discovered by police following a notification from Interpol. The case attracted global attention, sparking discussions on the ethical implications of mercy killing.