British husband’s murder charge changed to manslaughter

The charge against the 74-year-old Briton that admitted to killing his wife in their home in Tremithousa, near Paphos, in December 2021 will change from pre-meditated murder to manslaughter.

David Hunter said he killed his wife Janice who had leukaemia because he said he could no longer bear to see her suffer.

He suffocated her by blocking her mouth and nose with his hands while she was sitting in an armchair and then tried to kill himself.

On Monday, after his trial was postponed six times over the past year, his lawyer Nikoleta Charalambidou and the prosecution attorney Andreas Hadjikyrou agreed that the mitigating circumstances in the case allow for the charge to be manslaughter, instead of pre-meditated murder, as the prosecution had initially asked.

The mitigation of the charge will now have to be approved by the attorney general before being ratified.

It is expected that Hunter will plead guilty to the charge of manslaughter during the next trial, set for December 13. Hunter is to remain in custody.

Earlier this year, Hunter’s daughter Lesley Cawthorne urged judges to show him mercy.

“I understand they have to apply the law but I would like them to see beyond that and show some compassion,” she told the Daily Mail.

“My father is 75 years old, he is not a risk to society, he is not a risk to anyone, in fact the only person he is at risk to is himself.

“We just want him home with his family as the last few months have been so traumatic for all of us.”