David and Janice Hunter retired to Cyprus 20 years ago, living near the resort of Paphos
A British ex-pat has been sentenced to two years in jail for killing his seriously ill wife in Cyprus but released after authorities took into account his time spent in custody.
David Hunter was found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife Janice, 74, at their home near Paphos in 2021.
The 76-year-old, originally from Ashington, Northumberland, had been cleared of her murder.
Hunter told the court his wife “cried and begged” him to end her life.
The trial heard she suffered from blood cancer.
Image source, Family handout
The Hunters were married for more than 50 years
His legal team had argued he should be given a suspended sentence, in a case which was a legal first in the country.
They had initially suggested he would be out in August after spending 19 months in custody, but prison authorities freed him on Monday after they officially calculated his release date.
In mitigation last week, his defence lawyer Ritsa Pekri said his motive was to “liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions”.
The court heard it was Mrs Hunter’s “wish” to die and that her husband “had only feelings of love for her”.
Image source, PA Media
Hunter, pictured at a previous hearing, has spent 19 months in jail
Hunter said he would “never in a million years” have suffocated his wife of 52 years unless she had asked him to.
He showed the court how he held his hands over Mrs Hunter’s mouth and nose and said he eventually decided to grant her her wish after she became “hysterical”.
The court heard he then tried to kill himself by taking an overdose, but paramedics arrived in time to save him.
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