Judge shows mercy for husband who killed wife

A retired policeman who killed his terminally-ill wife in a suicide pact was shown mercy by a judge today.

Brian Blackburn, 62, walked free from London's Old Bailey court with a nine-month suspended sentence because he had acted as a “loving husband”.

Judge Richard Hawkins said his wife, former nurse Margaret, 62, had only weeks to live and had asked him to cut her wrists “as the last loving thing you could do for her”.

Blackburn, of Ash, Surrey, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and walked out of court with the sentence suspended for two years and a supervision order.

The court was told he cut his own wrists in an identical way but his blood congealed and he rang police when he did not die.

Judge Hawkins said a post-mortem examination had shown Mrs Blackburn had stomach cancer as she had suspected.

A post-mortem examination had discovered a 3kg (about 6lbs 8oz) tumour in her stomach which a doctor had described as the largest he had seen.

Mrs Blackburn had not sought medical help because of her work with dying people in a hospice and her abhorrence of surgery.

He told Blackburn, who had been in custody since his arrest three months ago: “I am not going to send you to prison.”

He said there were exceptional circumstances in the case but warned that taking someone else’s life was a serious matter.

Mrs Blackburn’s condition had begun to deteriorate in the autumn, said the judge.

“By late September, she began to request that you end her life as the last loving thing you could do for her. I accept that your relationship with her was a thoroughly loving relationship.”

Mrs Blackburn had asked that he make sure she was dead before killing himself after she was awake all night in terrible pain.

Blackburn, a policeman with an exemplary record for 30 years, wiped his eyes during the hearing.

Mrs Blackburn’s sons, Colin and Martin Lawrence, had written to the judge pleading for mercy.

The court was told the couple had married in 1998 after Mr Blackburn’s wife Angela died from breast cancer.

Mr Blackburn had told police: “I did what she asked me to do. I failed myself. Now I have to pay the price.”

Mrs Blackburn had “said goodbye” to her sons in the days leading up to her death.

Peter Binder, defending, described the loving relationship the couple had and tragic end to their life together.

Colin Lawrence had said Mr Blackburn would “do anything for their mum”, he said.

Martin Lawrence described Mr Blackburn as a “lovely man”. He told police: “He was always the perfect gentleman towards mum.

“She was old-fashioned – she was a lady and Brian would treat her as such. They were always arm-in-arm.”

Mr Binder said: "Brian Blackburn was utterly devoted to his wife and could not see life without her. He was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to be with her. The fact she died and he survived, appears to be an accident.”

Mr Binder read Blackburn’s moving interview with police after his arrest. It described how she had stopped eating and was in constant pain.

Mr Binder said: “She said that as one who had seen people dying of cancer for 20 years and she just did not want it.”

Blackburn told police: “She said: 'You have got to do something. You have got to cut my wrists and then do yours and we will meet each other on the other side’.

“I said: ‘I can’t’. She said: ‘You have got to. I can’t go to hospital. It’s the last loving thing – it’s the last loving thing you can do for me’.”

After cutting her wrists, Blackburn had put his arms round his wife who had died within 20 minutes.

“He was telling her: ‘I am here, you know’ and then she was dead,” said Mr Binder.

He had placed a flannel over her face so she could not see what was happening. After her death, he had taken it off and combed her hair like she wanted.

Mr Binder asked the judge for compassion as Blackburn had made a serious attempt to end his life and was now mentally “fragile”.

A doctor's report said: "The time spent with his late wife was the happiest time of his life. His love for her was obvious.''

Blackburn was greeted by friends and family as he left the court.

His solicitor Rebecca Shortt said: “My client is delighted with the outcome of today’s hearing. The circumstances in which he found himself were a tragic episode. His actions were those of a man who showed deep love and compassion for his sick wife.”

Mrs Blackburn’s sons said their mother was a “strong-willed woman who did not want her family to suffer by her death from cancer”.

Referring to Mr Blackburn as “dad”, they said they were relieved he had been released because he had suffered enough.

Martin Lawrence said: “We will be 100% there for him”. His brother Colin added: “We will help him through these difficult times.”