80-year-old woman cleared of 'mercy killing' her terminally ill husband after they both took overdose at home
An old age pensioner broke down in tears in a court on Wednesday, September 18, when she was cleared of "mercy killing" her terminally ill husband after both of them took an overdose at home, according to reports.
The 80-year-old woman, identified as Mavic Eccleston, was also acquitted of manslaughter after she told jurors that her 81-year-old husband and she were of sound mind when they took the decision to end their lives. Eccleston was unanimously cleared after a two-week trial at Stafford Crown Court.
Prosecutors in the case had alleged that her husband Denis was in the "end stages" of bowel cancer and was not aware of the potentially lethal overdose he was given by his wife.
They also alleged that Eccleston made admissions to two mental health nurses later. Eccleston was arrested on February 21, a day after her husband died as she held his hand in the hospital.
The court, however, heard that Denis had previously talked about traveling to Switzerland to end his life. His wife, while addressing the jury last week, said that her husband kissed her hand and thanked her after she agreed to "go with his wishes" to die, The Sun reported.
Eccleston said that Denis "knew full well" what kind of medication they were both taking and that he took his overdose himself at their home in Huntington, near Cannock.
Eccleston, while giving evidence to the court, said that she fetched the medication from a nearby cupboard after her husband requested it.
"It was an understanding between us. He had to tell me what I had got to do," the pensioner told the court. The couple took the medication and Eccleston kissed her husband, pulled a cover over him and he said "goodnight darling" as she went to lie down on the sofa.
Although Denis died from the overdose, Eccleston was administered an antidote in hospital in February last year.
Eccleston, while answering questions from defense barrister Mark Heywood QC, said that she also wrote a note explaining to their children why they had decided to take their own lives. "The next thing I knew I was in the hospital," she said.
Jurors took nearly four hours to reach a not guilty verdict after hearing that the prosecution's claims were based on two "throwaway remarks" between her and two nurses.