Thursday, David Hunter will stand trial in Cyprus for the death of his wife, Janice. After a request for a charge of “aiding suicide” was denied, their daughter is pleading with the judges to show “compassion” and insisted that her father is “not a threat to society.”
On Thursday, David Hunter is scheduled to appear in court about the death of his 75-year-old wife Janice in their island apartment in December.
Mr. Hunter allegedly suffocated her and then attempted suicide by taking an overdose, but he lived.
The Northumberland-born, 75-year-old coal miner faces a life sentence if found guilty after his request for an alternative allegation of “assisting suicide” was denied.
Before the trial, the couple’s daughter stated that her father is “haunted” by recollections of her mother “screaming in anguish” throughout her battle with terminal blood cancer and an array of other health issues.
“My father is not a threat to society,” Lesley Cawthorne pleaded with the Cypriot justices sitting over the case.
She stated, “My father has told me what occurred, and I have no reason to doubt or suspect that he is not speaking the truth.
“My mother expressed her desires, and my father assisted her.
“She only desired for it to cease. She did not desire a battle. She declined treatment.
“She did not desire a delayed death. She had had enough and simply desired to leave.”
She was unable to reach her bedroom each night.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, who had been married for 56 years and were high school sweethearts, had retired and relocated to Cyprus 20 years ago.
Mrs. Hunter, a former worker at a corner store, was left in great agony owing to her health problems in her later years, and her “quality of life was significantly deteriorated,” according to her daughter.
Mrs. Cawthorne “I was unaware of how horrible things were.
“Since then, my father has told me… they were bleak. She was in severe pain.
“She had rheumatoid arthritis, which caused her considerable pain and mobility issues.
“She had cataracts, an ovarian tumor was removed, her appendix was removed, she underwent knee replacement surgery, and she had skin cancer on her hands and face.
“She was in extremely poor health. It was a case of one thing following another.”
Mrs. Cawthorne, who resides in Norwich, reported that her father described her mother’s quality of life during her final weeks as “nonexistent.”
She was unable to reach her bedroom each night “Ms. Cawthorne said.
“They would frequently sleep together in their armchairs.
“She had chronic diarrhea, and my father would use towels to make diapers for her.
“Due to the agony she was experiencing, she was unable to sleep very well.
“She had difficulty swallowing, making it difficult for her to eat and drink, which reduced her energy levels.
“In recent days, her eyesight had begun to deteriorate.
Things were terrible.
It has been a living hell.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunter were discovered at their home in the Paphos town of Tremithousa on December 18.
Mrs. Cawthorne stated that she learned what had transpired through her uncle, who informed her that her mother had passed away and that her father, who was in serious care, had tried suicide.
“I was heartbroken,” she stated.
“It felt like the ground just disappeared from under me.
It was horrifying since I did not know if my father was still alive at the time.
It took nearly twenty-four hours before Mrs. Cawthorne received confirmation that her father had survived.
“It was quite traumatic,” she continued.
“I anticipated the worst. I believed my father had died. It was horrifying.
“In the past five months, life has been terrible. This has been a nightmare.”
After Mr. Hunter was charged with the murder of his wife, his attorneys requested that the charge be reduced to assisted suicide; however, the request was denied.
Sharing a cell with 11 other men
According to his daughter, Mr. Hunter, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder accusation, has spent more than five months awaiting trial in a cell with up to eleven other males.
She further stated that her father’s “emotional state” is “very delicate.”
“He finds it quite painful to discuss,” she stated.
“His dreams are physically tormented by memories of her screams of agony (during her illness).
“He is traumatized.
“He misses my mother terribly. Isn’t fifty-six years practically a lifetime?
“It appears as if he is missing a limb. He is at a loss for what to do without her.
“He is utterly lost without my mother present.
“He is in a dire situation.
“He is extremely lonely and terrified.”
He will not survive ten to fifteen years in prison.
Due to her heart ailment and her fear of traveling, Mrs. Cawthorne is unable to attend her father’s trial.
She stated that he faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted of murder, with Justice Abroad stating that the minimum term is 12 years.
“He will not survive ten to fifteen years in prison,” Mrs. Cawthorne added.
“He is terrified… he is extremely terrified.”
On Thursday and Friday, three judges will hear the trial, with additional sessions anticipated in the coming weeks.
Mrs. Cawthorne stated directly to the justices sitting over the case: “I fully comprehend their culture and beliefs, and we hold Cyprus in the highest regard because it provided my parents with a great retirement.
“However, if they could find it within themselves to show some compassion to me and my family, and let me have my father back, I would be extremely grateful because they would be doing my family the greatest possible favor, and we would be indebted to them forever.”
Mrs. Cawthorne expressed optimism that her father would be released following the trial so that he may “spend the remainder of his time with his family.”
“Miners do not typically have elderly bones,” she continued.
“He spent the most of forty years underground. He is not in good health.
“He poses no threat to anyone. My father poses no threat to society.”
David Hunter’s attorneys think he should be freed of murder charges.
Barrister Michael Polak, the director of Justice Abroad, which is assisting Mr. Hunter, stated that defense attorneys will request the Briton’s acquittal.
He stated that he drafted a 14-page petition, citing international case law, stating that Mr. Hunter should not be charged with murder.
However, he reported receiving a two-paragraph response from the Cypriot attorney general denying the request without providing any justification.
Mr. Polak was “surprised” by the ruling and stated, “It is fairly obvious to anyone who looks at the case that murder is not the most suitable accusation.”
He stated that “there has never been an instance of euthanasia in Cyprus previously.”
Mr. Polak stated, “It would be fantastic if the attorney general altered his opinion about the charging decision.”
“If he is unwilling to do so, we will fight the trial, and David is quite eager to do so.
“He doesn’t look at himself as a murderer.
“We believe David does not deserve to spend the remainder of his life in prison in Cyprus. He is a good person. He was married to his wife for over 50 years, during which they shared a love relationship.
No one, including the Cypriots I’ve spoken with, believes he deserves to stand trial for murder.
