David Hunter’s daughter says he has chance to see daylight again after verdict

David Hunter, 76, was found guilty of manslaughter for killing his spouse of 52 years, Janice.

After a lengthy trial, David Hunter was found guilty of manslaughter and could be released next week (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

The daughter of a retired British miner cleared of murdering his terminally ill wife said it would be “like having our lives back” if he is released from prison in Cyprus next week.

David Hunter, 76, was found guilty of manslaughter for killing his spouse of 52 years, Janice, who died of asphyxiation at their home near the coastal resort town of Paphos in December 2021.

The pensioner, from Ashington, Northumberland, will be sentenced on July 27 after judges found him not guilty of the more serious charge of pre-meditated murder.

He told the court his wife, who was 74, was suffering with blood cancer and “begged him” to end her life.

Speaking after the verdict on Friday, the couple’s daughter Lesley Cawthorne said: “I’m just genuinely stunned. I can’t believe it – I am just so pleased.

“My dad’s not a murderer. My dad’s never been a murderer. Now everybody knows that. It’s incredible. It’s just incredible. I can’t believe it.

“If it had been premeditated murder, there was no chance he’d ever see the light of day again, but this gives us a real chance.”

Ms Cawthorne said her father is likely to stay in Cyprus for a while if he is released, meaning they will have to wait before being reunited.

“He had almost two years of being a prisoner during lockdown, and then he went straight from that into prison.

“He’s had over three years of his life that have been lived at somebody else’s kind of whim.

“So I think it’s time to respect what he wants and let him make choices, and I think it’s really important we let him make choices.”

“I know what he will choose – to spend some time with my mum. He doesn’t just want one quick trip to the grave – I know what he’s going to be like.

“He’s going to want a period where he’s at the grave every day, and if that’s what he needs, that’s what he needs.

“It’s not my place to pull him away from that – I’m here, I’ll be waiting, and when he’s ready then he’s going to come [to the UK].

“But coming out of prison is going to be a big culture shock. I think coming out of prison and coming straight to the UK would just knock him off his feet.

“He needs time and space to acclimatise. He’s a proud man, and I think he wants time to put himself together before he sees us, so he can be the best version of himself.”

Describing the torment of the last 19 months, Ms Cawthorne said: “It’s been huge. I feel like it’s aged me, and it’s worn us down and depleted our emotional reserves.

“We are exhausted and drained. It has literally crushed all hope out of me and made it hard to find the kind of joy in life.

“But now we’ve got hope back, and we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.”

On what she is looking forward to most if Mr Hunter is freed, Ms Cawthorne said: “Just hugging him and giving him a decent meal. Just giving him some food.

“I know it means so much to him. Knowing that he can go to see my mum’s grave and he can see my mum and he can say his goodbyes properly and calmly. It’s unbelievable.”

Mrs Cawthorne also said she felt her mother’s presence on the morning of the verdict for the first time since she died.

She said: “All morning, I’ve really felt like my mum’s with me. I’ve really felt my mum’s presence in a way I haven’t since she died.

“It might just be my imagination but it’s been really strange.”