On Monday, a British retiree who stands accused of murdering his spouse, who was suffering from a terminal illness, informed a Cyprus court that he reluctantly put an end to her life after she persistently "pleaded" with him to do so. David Hunter, aged 75, stated that he initially refused but eventually gave in to his wife's requests after she wept and begged.

The case is groundbreaking in Cyprus, which is mainly an Orthodox Christian nation where assisted suicide is considered a taboo topic, as there are no existing laws on the subject. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

According to Hunter, his spouse Janice, aged 74, was extremely ill prior to her passing in December 2021, to the point where she was unable to climb stairs, and the couple had resorted to sleeping on a lounge chair on the ground floor of their residence.

Hunter stated that his wife Janice had been diagnosed with blood cancer and was undergoing blood transfusion treatments, and had persistently requested him to terminate her life. He expressed that he had been hoping for a "miracle or some positive development" that would alter her decision about wanting to die, and emphasized that there was no premeditation involved in his actions. The retired miner, originally from Northumberland, had previously disclosed that he eventually gave in to his wife's wishes and suffocated her to death in their living room in Tremithousa, which is situated near Paphos on the west coast of the Mediterranean island.

The couple, who had been teenage sweethearts, had been in a relationship for 59 years. Hunter was discovered by authorities after he had taken an overdose of prescription medication and alcohol in an attempt to end his own life. He was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a period of 10 days.

David Hunter's lawyer, Michael Polak from the UK firm Justice Abroad, stated that "today was an extremely emotional and challenging day" for his client. However, he expressed that Hunter was satisfied to have the opportunity to finally clarify the situation. Polak also noted that Monday's testimony demonstrated the depth of "David's love for his wife." Hunter had previously entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder, with his defense claiming that it was a case of assisted suicide. However, prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou stated in court that there was no evidence of an agreement. The trial will resume on Tuesday, with additional witnesses expected to provide testimony.