David Hunter, 75, is on trial for premeditated murder after a plea deal on the lesser charge of manslaughter collapsed (Pictures: PA)
A British pensioner’s confession to killing his terminally-ill wife was lawfully obtained and can be used in evidence against him, a court in Cyprus has ruled.
David Hunter, 75, is on trial for premeditated murder after a plea deal on the lesser charge of manslaughter collapsed.
His wife Janice, 74, died of asphyxiation in December 2021 at the couple’s retirement home near the coastal resort town of Paphos.
The retired coalminer’s defence team argued his confession should be inadmissible because he wasn’t given his right to a lawyer or to remain silent before statements were taken from him when he was arrested.
They had previously called a forensic psychiatrist to give evidence, who said that Hunter was suffering from dissociation at the time of the killing, and that statements made to medical professionals should be permitted to be used against him.
On Tuesday, a judge at Paphos District Court dismissed the defence’s application and ruled that Hunter’s statement would be admissible in his trial.
The court found that Hunter was lucid at the time and aware of what was happening, shown by the fact that he took pills and called his brother after killing Mrs Hunter.
David Hunter (right) arriving at Paphos District Court in Cyprus (Picture: PA)
Hunter, from Northumberland, is led back to a police van after appearing at Paphos District Court where he is accused of murdering his terminally ill wife, Janice Hunter (Picture: PA)
Family handout photo of David and Janice Hunter (Picture: PA)
Michael Polak talks to the media outside Paphos Assize Court in Cyprus (Picture: PA)
Michael Polak, of Justice Abroad, the group representing Hunter, told reporters the retired miner is ‘shocked and dejected’ at the decision.
‘We called a forensic psychiatrist to give evidence and his evidence was totally rejected by the court,’ Mr Polak said.
‘With regards to the right to a lawyer, European human rights law would require David to provide an unequivocal waiver of his right to a lawyer, and in this case there hasn’t been one.’
His defence has said Hunter was acting on the wishes of his wife, who they say was terminally ill with blood cancer.
David and Janice Hunter on their wedding day (Picture: PA)
The grave of Janice Hunter at the cemetery in Tremithousa, Cyprus (Picture: PA)
An agreement between prosecution and defence to reduce the murder charge to manslaughter collapsed late last year after prosecutors refused to accept Hunter’s claim that his wife asked him to end her life unless he provided proof.
State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou told reporters: ‘If we accept this, every other man in the future who kills a woman will say “we had an agreement”.’
Mr Polak said the defence team will apply to the Supreme Court of Cyprus for a judicial review of the decision, which could lead to the trial being paused ahead of the next scheduled hearing on Tuesday March 28.
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David Hunter, 75, is accused of the premeditated murder of his wife Janice, who his lawyers say was terminally ill with blood cancer.