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Trial of David Hunter continues in Paphos

david hunter, paphos court
David Hunter at Paphos criminal court for a previous hearing (Photo: Christos Theodorides)

The trial of British David Hunter resumed at Paphos criminal court on Monday, where prosecution aimed to get the facts on record of how police were alerted to the murder, as well as Janice Hunter’s manner of death.

First to take the stand was police officer Chrysanthi Andreou, who was the policewoman on duty on December 18, and received a flash alert from Manchester Interpol at 7.52pm.

It was described as an urgent message highlighting that David Hunter, who lived in Paphos, had contacted his brother in the UK via Facebook and told him that he killed his wife, Janice Hunter.

David Hunter also told his brother he had attempted to kill himself.

Andreou said she searched police records and data from the migration department to locate Hunter’s address and immediately alerted Paphos CID.

In a subsequent relay back to Manchester Interpol, she told them authorities were investigating the case as premeditated murder.

David Hunter, 75, is on trial in Cyprus for premeditated murder for killing his wife Janice Hunter in their Tremithousa home in Paphos in December 2021. He maintains he suffocated her to death in a bid to put an end to her suffering as she had leukaemia. He then tried to kill himself, however authorities who were notified of what happened sent an ambulance to the home.

His stomach was subsequently pumped, and he was later arrested.

Hunter said Janice has asked him to put an end to her life and they had both agreed to it, though there is no evidence for it. Prosecution previously stated they do not want to set a precedent for any future cases.

Dr Andreas Pantelides also took the stand, a medical examiner who carried out lab tests after Janice Hunter’s death, aimed at exploring the manner of her death.

He first received the report from the state pathologist and found the results were consistent: that Janice Hunter had leukaemia.

Prosecution however sought to understand whether Janice Hunter may have suffered from Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of blood cancer.

Pantelides explained around 45 per cent of cases with MDS can develop leukaemia, though the only way to have a conclusive answer as to what cancer she suffered from would be through bone marrow samples which he did not have.

As such, Janice Hunter may have suffered from MDS, leukaemia or both, he said.

It is understood the prosecution is seeking to question whether Janice Hunter’s condition was terminal. Her doctor will be taking the stand on Tuesday.

Pantelides also told the court the lab tests were not able to reveal whether she died by asphyxiation – which is how David Hunter admitted to killing his wife.

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