Brit expat David Hunter lays flowers at wife’s grave after manslaughter sentence for smothering her in ‘mercy killing’

A BRITISH grandad who killed his cancer-stricken wife after she “begged” him to has visited her grave for the first time since being released from custody. David Hunter, 76, spent 19 months behind bars after smothering his wife of 52 years Janice to death at their home in Cyprus in December 2021. PADavid Hunter was able to visit his wife’s grave on Tuesday[/caption] PAHe knelt down and left a bouquet of flowers[/caption] FacebookDavid Hunter killed his terminally ill wife Janice after she ‘begged’ him to[/caption] He was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after a year-long trial. On Monday, judges handed him a two-year sentence – but he was allowed to return home having already spent so long in custody. After her death, Mrs Hunter was buried at a cemetery minutes from the couple’s home in Tremithousa – a small village near the coastal resort town of Paphos. But retired miner Hunter has been unable to visit the grave as he was admitted to hospital immediately after her death following a failed suicide attempt, then taken into custody and prosecuted for murder. On Tuesday morning, he was finally able to pay an emotional first visit to his beloved wife’s grave. Hunter could not initially find the grave and was guided to it by Michael Polak of Justice Abroad, which represented him during his trial. Carrying a bouquet of pink, purple and yellow flowers, he immediately knelt down by the grave and appeared to be silently shaking. Teary-eyed Hunter stayed at the site for around half an hour. The couple’s daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, previously said she believes that her father will initially choose to stay in Cyprus to be near Mrs Hunter’s grave and “say his goodbyes properly” before returning to the UK. Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial that his 74-year-old wife “cried and begged” him to end her life as she suffered from blood cancer. He broke down in tears as he said he would “never in a million years” have taken Mrs Hunter’s life unless she had asked him to. The couple, originally from Ashington, were teenage sweethearts and had been together for more than 50 years when they retired to Tremithousa. Hunter tried to take his own life by overdosing on prescription pills moments after informing his brother, back home, about what had happened. When police turned up at the villa he was slumped in a white leather chair next to the woman he called the “love of my life”. Hunter also told the court how his wife’s sister Kathryn had died 30 years earlier from the same disease and how Janice, who had looked after her in hospital, had said: “If I ever have this illness I don’t want to live.” PAHunter smiled with tears in his eyes as he was freed on Monday[/caption] PAHe was visibly emotional as he visited his wife’s grave[/caption] PAHe stayed by her grave for around 30 minutes[/caption] PAThe couple were teenage sweethearts and were together for more than 50 years[/caption] PAHunter told the court his relationship with Janice was ‘perfect’[/caption] PAHe was cleared of murder in court this month[/caption] PAHunter, centre, with his defence team including Michael Polak of Justice Abroad, left, outside court on Monday[/caption]