Former councillor smothered husband

A former councillor killed her sick husband of 50 years after believing he wanted her to help him die.

Susanne Wilson smothered 70-year-old Henry with a cushion at their home in Ayr, South Ayrshire, last September.

The retired nurse had been carer for her housebound husband, who suffered from chronic heart disease.

The 72-year-old had also been struggling to come to terms with sex abuse allegations against Mr Wilson, a court heard.

It was shortly after Mr Wilson spoke to one of his accusers – and with his health failing – that his wife took his life.

The sad events emerged yesterday as the pensioner appeared at the High Court in Glasgow.

Wilson – who had once faced a murder accusation – admitted to a culpable homicide charge.

Prosecutors accepted the plea on the basis of her “diminished responsibility” at the time due to the strain she was under.

Judge Lady Rae – who described the case as “difficult and very unusual” – continued her bail meantime. Wilson will learn her fate next month.

The grandmother had been a Labour councillor in Troon, South Ayrshire, in the late 1990s.