Trial delay for Briton facing murder charge over euthanasia of sick wife

The trial of a British man charged with the premeditated murder of his sick wife in Cyprus’ coastal resort town of Paphos was pushed back until September yesterday, with defence lawyers arguing that David Hunter should instead be charged with assisting a suicide.

State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou said the postponement was the result of a court scheduling conflict and will resume on September 9.

Hunter, 74, will remain in custody until then.

Justice Abroad, a group that defends Britons embroiled in legal difficulties in foreign countries, said the case against Hunter, 74, is likely the first euthanasia case to be tried on the east Mediterranean island nation.

It comes as lawmakers debate whether to decriminalise euthanasia, amid strong opposition from conservative circles, including the influential Orthodox Church.

Hunter’s wife Janice, 74, died in December 2021 at the couple’s retirement home in Paphos where many of the up to 60,000 British expatriates live.

Justice Abroad spokesman Michael Polak said Janice was on heavy medication for a type of blood cancer.

He said Cyprus’ attorney general George Savvides rejected a defence request to reduce the charge to assisted suicide, which would likely keep Hunter out of jail.

Hunter’s daughter Lesley said that her mother had “begged him for a long time (to assist her death) and was very clear about what she wanted”.

But prosecutors say there’s no tangible evidence, like a written note, that Hunter’s wife had asked him specifically to help her die.

Prosecutors also disputed that there was any medical diagnosis proving that Janice Hunter suffered from leukaemia or “blood cancer”.

They also said defence lawyers turned down a deal to have Hunter plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Polak countered that the burden remains on prosecutors to demonstrate a motive as to why Hunter would want to murder his wife.

Janice was on heavy medication for a type of blood cancer