That December day…

Opinion human rights That December day… British Miner David Hunter Relevant News The picture of corruption is pitch black and not easily glossed over 24 June 2026 That December day… 24 June 2026 More heat records expected as deadly ‘Omega’ heatwave grips Europe 24 June 2026 Marios Demetriou 24 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Reading that 79-year-old British retiree and former coal miner, David Hunter, died in a hospital in Paphos last Wednesday brought back a fleeting memory of our conversation on the 21st of July, 2023, outside the courtroom of the Paphos Criminal Court. Minutes earlier, he had heard the two-year prison sentence handed down for the crime of murder. “I feel happy, because I can finally go to my wife’s grave in Tremithousa and mourn her properly,” he told me, the relief in his voice unmistakable. The sentence had immediately opened the door to freedom after 19 months in the Central Prisons, with time already served since his arrest on the 18th of December, 2021 counted towards it. That fateful winter day, David Hunter had been taken into custody by police in poor mental and physical condition at the rented house he shared in Tremithousa, Paphos. He was charged with “causing the death of his 75-year-old wife, Janice Lesley Hunter, by blocking her nose and mouth with his hands until she died.” Immediately afterwards, Hunter took a large dose of pills and alcohol in a failed attempt to end his own life. The Hunters had moved to Cyprus after his retirement and were permanent residents of sunny Paphos. During the trial it emerged that his wife had suffered from terminal leukaemia and had repeatedly asked him to end her life because she was enduring unbearable pain. Hunter insisted until the end that he loved his wife and that everything he did was out of love — because she had asked him to, so she would no longer suffer so terribly. The depth of their love was confirmed by everyone who knew them, including their daughter, Lesley Cowthorpe. “My dad was a wonderful husband and father who adored my mum,” she wrote to me from Norwich, in a message published in a report in May, two thousand and twenty-two. Of course, the case touches on the broader issue of euthanasia or assisted suicide and the debate over legalisation. In Cyprus — as in Britain — it is a criminal offence. Public discussion continues, but for David Hunter, the matter ended with his death. It appears he passed away long before June, 2026. It seems, in some way, that he died years ago, alongside his wife, on that December day… Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News The picture of corruption is pitch black and not easily glossed over More heat records expected as deadly ‘Omega’ heatwave grips Europe Law Office shelves former DISY MP Sykas’s domestic violence case, citing insufficient evidence Overnight pharmacies on Wednesday, June 24 Cyprus extends fuel tax cut to August as Iran war keeps energy prices elevated EY launches enterprise-scale agentic AI to redefine the audit experience for the AI era Nicosia confirms Board of Peace will meet in Cyprus, but island played no organising role Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.