Mercy killer: I couldn’t bear to see wife suffer
A GREAT-GRANDFATHER who killed his sick wife before trying to kill himself wrote a heartbreaking letter to a court explaining why they wanted to die together.
Brendon Constant, 87, was due to appear in court this week charged with murdering Jean, 86, by placing a plastic bag over her head.
But the retired company director died on Friday after suffering serious head injuries in a fall at a family gathering to celebrate his grandson’s birthday.
Now his family – who criticised the decision to prosecute him – have released a letter in which he explained his actions.
In it, Mr Constant accepted he helped his wife of 60 years to die – but revealed she asked him to intervene as her health failed and he agreed as he could not bear to watch her suffer.
‘We had a very happy marriage. She was my best friend and we knew each other better than anyone else,’ he wrote.
‘We only ever made decisions together on important things in life. We loved one another dearly and could not contemplate life without the other.’
The pensioner said that around five years ago, the couple’s health began to deteriorate. ‘We spoke about what we wanted to do should either of our lives become unbearable,’ he said. ‘ We decided together that, if we got to that stage, we wanted to end our lives together.’
In the summer of 2016, Mrs Constant was taken to hospital during which time she told him repeatedly that she wanted to end her life. Her husband said: ‘When she came out of hospital she found life very difficult and she believed and expressed the view that it would only become more difficult. I loved her so much. Watching her suffer was heartbreaking for me.’
Mrs Constant, who ran a second-hand pottery shop before she retired, decided her life had to end over the weekend of August 20-21 last year. Her husband added: ‘We had enjoyed a good life and it was the right time for us to end our joint suffering before it worsened. I wanted Jean to know that she would not be alone in death and that I would be at her side whilst she died. She knew that I would then take my own life.’
Mr Constant explained that he ‘never anticipated’ he would survive his suicide bid at the couple’s sheltered accommodation flat in Eynesbury, Cambridgeshire, on August 22 last year. ‘I left a note on the door asking the carer not to enter but to contact the police,’ he wrote. Officers found Mrs Constant’s body. Her husband had unspecified injuries and was taken to hospital. He was inter- viewed under caution the next day. At Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge David Farrell was told that Mr Constant was at his son’s home in Wisbech on Thursday last week when he fell down stairs.
He was taken to hospital and his life- support machine was switched off the next day. Sally Hobson, defending, said there was ‘absolutely no suggestion’ Mr Constant had deliberately thrown himself down.
Judge Farrell adjourned the case for evidence to be produced before the indictment could be ‘ amended accordingly’. Frank Ferguson, of the CPS, said afterwards that the public interest had been ‘carefully’ considered.
He added: ‘We were satisfied there was sufficient evidence to show that Mr Constant had killed his wife unlawfully.’
‘Wanted to end our lives together’