David Hunter is due to appear in court on Thursday for the death of Janis’s 75-year-old wife in their apartment on the island last December. He was reportedly drowned by Hunter, who then tried to end his life by taking an overdose, but survived. The 75-year-old former miner, originally from Northumberland, faces up to life in prison if convicted after rejecting a request for an alternative charge of “assisted suicide”. Prior to the trial, the couple’s daughter told Sky News that her father was “haunted” by memories of her mother “screaming in pain” during the battle with end-stage blood cancer and a list of others. health problems. Lesley Cawthorne has now urged Cypriot judges presiding over the case to show “compassion”, saying: “My dad is not a danger to society”. He said: “My dad told me what happened and I have no reason not to believe him or to think of anything other than telling me the truth. “My mom clarified her wishes and my dad helped her. “It simply came to our notice then. He did not want to fight. He did not want treatment. “He did not want a long, prolonged death. He had enough and he just wanted to leave.” Image: David Hunter is facing trial in Cyprus accused of killing Janice’s wife. Photo: Lesley Cawthorne “He could not go upstairs to sleep every night” Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, who have been together for 56 years and were beloved teenagers, had moved to Cyprus 20 years ago after retiring. But in her later life, Ms. Hunter – a former department store worker – had suffered severe pain due to her health problems and “her quality of life had dropped significantly,” her daughter said. Ms Cawthorne told Sky News: “I did not really know how bad things were. “My dad told me since then … they were very gloomy. It hurt a lot. “She had rheumatoid arthritis which caused her a lot of pain and affected her mobility. “She had cataracts, she had a growth in her ovaries, she had appendicitis, she had knee replacement surgery, she had skin cancer on her hands and face. “He was in very bad health. He was kind of one after another.” Ms Cawthorne, who lives in Norwich, said her father had described her mother’s quality of life in recent weeks as “non-existent”. Picture: Janice and David Hunter, pictured on their wedding day, have been together for 56 years. Photo: Lesley Cawthorne “He could not go upstairs to sleep every night,” Ms Cawthorne said. “Very often they slept side by side in their armchairs. “She had chronic diarrhea and my dad used to make her diapers from towels. “Because of the pain he felt, he could not really sleep very well. “She had difficulty swallowing, so she had difficulty eating and drinking, which obviously affected her energy levels. “In the last few days, her vision had begun to decline. “Things were very bad.” Picture: David and Janice Hunter have been together for 56 years “It was a living nightmare” Mr and Mrs Hunter met at their home in the village of Tremithousa in Paphos on 18 December. Ms Cawthorne said she learned what had happened to her uncle, who told her her mother had died and her father – who was in the intensive care unit – had tried to commit suicide. “I was devastated,” he said. “I literally felt like the ground was beneath me. “It was horrible because at that point I did not know if my father was alive.” Ms Cawthorne said it took her almost 24 hours to confirm that her father had survived. “It was really traumatic,” he added. “It simply came to our notice then. I thought my father was dead. It was horrible. “Life has been horrible for the last five months. It was a living nightmare.” After Mr Hunter was charged with the murder of his wife, his lawyers wrote to the Cypriot Attorney General asking that the charge be reduced to aiding and abetting suicide – but the request was rejected. Image: Lesley Cawthorne (L) was photographed with her parents on Lake Garda in Italy in 1988. Photo: Lesley Cawthorne Sharing the prison cell with 11 men Hunter – who has pleaded not guilty to murder – spent more than five months behind bars awaiting trial in a cell with up to 11 other men, his daughter said. She added that her father’s “emotional state” is “very, very fragile”. “He really finds it very painful to talk,” he said. “He is literally haunted in his sleep by the memories of screaming in pain (during her illness). “He is really injured. “He misses my mom so much. Fifty-six years is almost a lifetime, isn’t it? “It’s like he’s missing a member. He does not really know what to do without her. “She was completely lost without my mom there. “She is OK. “He is very lonely … he is scared.” Image: The Hunters lived in Cyprus for 20 years “He is not going to survive 10 to 15 years in prison” Mrs Cawthorne – who speaks to her father on the phone twice a day – is unable to attend his trial because of her heart condition and her fear of being thrown out. He said he faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder, with the Justice Abroad legal group saying the minimum term is 12 years. “He is not going to survive 10 to 15 years in prison,” Ms Cawthorne added. “He is terrified … he is very, very scared.” The trial is set to begin on Friday, with three judges due to be heard, with further hearings expected in the coming weeks. In a direct message to the presiding judges of the case, Ms Cawthorne said: “I fully understand their culture and beliefs and we have great respect for Cyprus because it gave my parents a wonderful retirement. “But if they could show them a little compassion for me and my family and leave my father behind, then I would be very grateful because they would do my family the greatest favor, and they will be in debt forever.” . Read more: British Medical Association Rejects Opposition to Assisted DeathMinister Reveals Incurable Disease Ms Cawthorne said she hoped her father could be released from court after the trial and could “spend the rest of his time” with his family. “Miners do not tend to make old bones,” he added. “He spent most of his 40 years in the pit. He was not in the best of health. “It’s not a danger to anyone. My dad is not a danger to society.” Defense attorneys argue David Hunter should be acquitted of murder Lawyer Michael Pollack, Hunter’s director of foreign justice, said defense attorneys would urge judges to acquit the Briton of the murder. He said he had written a 14-page request based on case law from around the world, arguing that Mr Hunter should not face charges of murder. However, he said that he received a two-paragraph response from the Cypriot Attorney General who rejected the request, without giving reasons. Mr Polak said he was “surprised” by the decision, adding: “It’s absolutely clear to anyone who looks at the case that this is not a case where murder is the most appropriate charge.” He said that “there has never been a case of euthanasia in Cyprus”. “It would be great if the attorney general changed his mind about the charging decision,” Polak said. “If he is not going to do that, we will fight the lawsuit and David is very determined to fight the case. “He does not see himself as a murderer. “We do not believe that David deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison in Cyprus. He is a good man. He was with his wife for a long time, they had a love affair for over 50 years. “No one – even people in Cyprus I have spoken to – thinks he deserves to be tried for murder.” Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call the Samaritans for help at 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the USA, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
