A British pensioner accused of killing his wife in their Paphos apartment last December is "terrified" of the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, his daughter said.
David Hunter, a 75-year-old former miner, allegedly strangled Janice's longtime partner to death and then attempted suicide.
His lawyers claimed that Janice, Mr Hunter's wife of 56 years, had been diagnosed with blood cancer and wanted to die.
According to British media, Mr Hunter's case is due to be heard later this week by a Cypriot court, which rejected an attempt by the defense to change the charge to assisted suicide instead of murder.
If convicted, the 75-year-old, who has already spent more than five months in custody, would face life in prison, which carries a minimum sentence of 12 years.
Speaking to Sky News, Lesley Cawthorne's daughter called on the trial judges to show "compassion", arguing that her father "is not a danger to society".
"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," he said.
"My mom clarified her wishes and my dad helped her," Cawthorne added. "It simply came to our notice then. He did not want to fight. He did not want treatment. "
Her mother's quality of life was "non-existent", her daughter claimed. "Things were very bad," she said, referring to her mother's numerous health problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis and skin cancer.
Hunter's lawyer, Michael Pollack, director of Justice Abroad, told Sky News that he was "surprised" that the court rejected his client's request for assisted suicide and not murder.
"It's clear to anyone looking at the case that this is not a case where murder is the most appropriate charge," he said.
Source: sigmalive
