A BRIT pensioner is begging to visit his wife’s grave after being held in Cyprus over her alleged “mercy killing” death.
David Hunter, 75, is awaiting trail for allegedly killing his terminally ill wife in what’s believed to have been a murder-suicide pact gone wrong.
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The desperate OAP could spend the rest of his life in jail if found guilty for the pre-meditated murder of his wife Janice, who had blood cancer.
He’s also been pleading with prison staff to let him out to visit her grave, the Mirror reports.
Hunter claims he and his wife had a suicide back but changed his mind at the last moment after smothering her to death.
Speaking from Nicosia Central Prison in Cyprus, the 75-year-old accused murderer claims prison guards stopped him from watching his wife’s funeral procession.
Ex-mining colleagues Barry Kent and Kevin Barnfather visited him last week.
Barry told the Mirror: “When we talked about what he’ll do when, not if, he gets out, he said, ‘I’m doing nothing before I go and see Janice and put flowers on her grave’.
“He tried to kill himself and was in a bad way. But he’s adamant he’s going to fight for a not guilty verdict. He knows he’s not guilty of murder.”
Hunter – who faces trial in September – and Janice retired to Cyprus 20 years ago.
He confessed to smothering his cancer-stricken wife to death before trying to take his own life as he “didn’t want to see her suffer”.
Hunter allegedly told Cypriot cops he’d covered wife Janice’s mouth and nose as she sat in her armchair in their Paphos home after she was diagnosed with incurable leukaemia.
David then tried to end his life before being arrested at Paphos General Hospital, according to the Cyprus Mail.
Police confirmed that the former miner from Northumberland had confessed to the killing, claiming it had been his wife’s wishes to pass peacefully after she was told her cancer was terminal, reports say.
Authorities were said to have been alerted by Interpol at around 8pm on Saturday after David had sent a horrifying message to a family member telling them he’d killed 75-year-old Janice in their Tremithousa home.
A relative told the Sun Online that the tragic death had been confirmed as “a mercy killing” by authorities in Paphos but added: “It’s been an awful shock and we’d rather not say anything at this stage.”
The pair, married for 52-years, fell in love with the island while holidaying there and moved after David, a former miner at Ellington Colliery, lost his job when the pit was shut down in 1994.
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YOU’RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
