26 October 2023 , 09:40
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A prosecution appeal has begun into a Brit acquitted of murdering his terminally-ill wife in what he described as a 'mercy killing'.
Ex-pat David Hunter, 76, was previously found guilty of manslaughter after going on trial in Cyprus for murdering wife Janice in December 2021. Mrs Hunter, 74, was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer when she died from asphyxiation, with Mr Hunter claiming she had "begged him" to be able to die.
The retired miner was cleared of the more serious charge of premeditated murder after it was accepted he had acted "out of love". He was released from custody on July 31 within minutes of being sentenced to two years in jail due to the 19 months he had already served on remand..
Mr Hunter spent 19 months in prison over Janice's death in December 2021 (Albanpix.com)Now prosecutors in the case are appealing Mr Hunter's acquittal of the murder charge and his sentence for manslaughter. The case came before the Court of Appeal in Nicosia on Tuesday, when the prosecution was ordered to file its arguments within two months, with a further two months for defence to respond. A date is likely to be set for the appeal hearing in April or May.
Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, which is representing Mr Hunter, said: "After spending more than 19 months on trial and in custody in Nicosia prison, when the Assize Court of Paphos finally found David Hunter not guilty of murder in July and sentenced him for manslaughter resulting in his immediate release, we thought that the legal proceedings were over for him. For anyone, but especially someone of David's age, it is obviously very stressful to have the possibility of being sent back to prison for life hanging over their head.
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"Although we are disappointed with the decision to pursue David further, we will continue to fight for David, and we thank everyone from Cyprus, the United Kingdom, and around the world who have been supporting him so strongly." Mr Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial that he suffocated Mrs Hunter after she "begged" him to as she was suffering from a rare form of blood cancer. A three-judge panel accepted the defence case that he had spontaneously acted "out of love" for his wife.
Mirror Online previously reported how David revealed the final four words his wife said to him before she died.
David said he told Janice he loved her just before covering her mouth and nose, as they both sobbed. He recalled: "She just closed her eyes and said 'give us a kiss', and I kissed her on the cheek.