British man in Cyprus who killed sick wife freed due to time served | Cyprus

British retired miner David Hunter has been released from custody due to time already served after a Cypriot judge sentenced him to two years in prison for the manslaughter of his seriously ill wife.

Hunter, 76, had admitted suffocating Janice, his wife of 52 years, who had blood cancer, at their home on the island, after she “begged him” to end her life.

On Monday, judges at Paphos district court imposed a two-year jail sentence on Hunter, who had already spent 19 months in custody.

His legal team said he was released shortly after the sentencing after Cypriot prison authorities officially calculated his release date.

Judges had previously found Hunter not guilty of the more serious charge of premeditated murder.

His legal team had argued he should be given a suspended sentence, in a case which is a legal first in the country.

In mitigation last week, his defence lawyer, Ritsa Pekri, said his motive was to “liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions”.

The court heard it was her wish to die and that her husband “had only feelings of love for her”.

Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial, which lasted for more than a year, that his wife had “cried and begged” him to end her life. He broke down in tears as he said he would “never in a million years” have taken Mrs Hunter’s life unless she had asked him to.

He said he had decided to grant her wish after she became “hysterical” and showed the court how he had held his hands over his wife’s mouth and nose.

The court heard he then tried to kill himself by taking an overdose, but medics arrived in time to save him.