The trial of a 74-year-old British man who in December confessed to killing his terminally ill wife started on Monday.
The proceedings before the Paphos criminal court were scheduled for February 10 this year, however they were later postponed until Monday.
A request by his defence lawyers to change the murder charge to assisting suicide was rejected on Friday as euthanasia remains illegal in the island.
Since his arrest, the defendant, who on December 22 last year had confessed to killing his wife, 75, to spare her suffering from leukaemia, remained in custody.
He confessed he had suffocated his wife by blocking her mouth and nose with his hands while she was sitting in an armchair in their home in Tremithousa, Paphos.
After that, he said he had tried to take his own life by consuming pills.
In his confession, he cited her wish to die as she was suffering from an incurable disease.
Police said that they were alerted to the incident by Interpol at around 8pm on December 18, 2021. Interpol said the 74-year-old had sent a message to a family member abroad telling them he had killed his wife because she was suffering from an illness and that he would also end his own life.
When officers went to the house of the couple, they found the woman dead and the man lying next to her.
The man had to have his stomach pumped as he told police he had consumed a large number of pills to end his life.
The body was examined by state pathologist Nicolas Charalambous who found bruises and scratches on the woman’s face.
Immediately after the murder, the suspect was transferred to the Athalassa psychiatric hospital at the recommendation of a psychiatrist but was released shortly afterwards.
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