No jail for ‘ mercy kill’
Ayr gran smothered husband, 70
An ex- councillor who killed her husband believing he wanted help to die has avoided jail in an “unusual case”.
Susanne Wilson, 72, smothered 70- year- old Henry with a cushion at their home in Ayr last September.
The retired nurse had been carer for her housebound husband who suffered from chronic heart disease.
But a judge heard how she had been struggling to come to terms with sex abuse allegations against her husband.
Wilson – who had faced a charge of murder – admitted culpable homicide at Glasgow High Court last month.
Last week at the High Court in Dumbarton judge Lady Rae said: “It’s impossible to envisage the torment you must have been going through at the time.”
She added: “There’s no suggestion whatsoever that you are a risk to the public, I have come to the view, therefore, that punishment is not appropriate and I consider a community payback order is not justified nor is it required.”
The gran had been a Labour councillor in Troon in the late 90s. She had been married for 50 years and had three children with her husband.
But their eldest son Jonathan died in 2001 after battling cancer.
Henry, a retired Butlins shop manager, was in poor health and relied on his wife for help.
In September 2015, Wilson became aware of allegations her husband had abused children, which she “accepted were true”.
The court heard other people – who had once helped share the “burden” of looking after Mr Wilson – stopped visiting due to the claims.
It was last September 3 – the day of the killing – Mr Wilson suddenly asked his wife to contact one of the people who had accused him.
He went on to speak to the individual on the phone – but this caused “anxiety” to Mrs Wilson.
After the call, she was described as “very angry” and hit her husband with a plastic jug, leaving him bleeding. Mr Wilson then spoke about ending his life with drugs. She said she felt “only compassion” as she smothered him with a pillow.
Prosecutor Bill McVicar explained this had been intended to end her husband’s life and which “would ordinarily be regarded as murder”.
However, he added “psychiatric evidence” led to the reduced charge of culpable homicide being accepted due to diminished responsibility.
It was found Wilson suffered from depression due to a number of factors. She was said to have “isolation” as people found it “difficult” that she was continuing to support her husband, despite the sexual abuse allegations.
Gordon Jackson QC defending said: “He said, ‘ Sue, help me’ and that’s what she distinctly remembers.”
Wilson claimed that:“At that point I know what he wanted me to do and I did that”.
A number of character references were handed to the court, including one from a local MP.
Sentence was deferred until January for good behaviour and for Mrs Wilson to continue with treatment from her psychiatrist.