Retired British miner David Hunter has been freed from prison after a Cypriot judge sentenced him to two years in jail for the manslaughter of his seriously ill wife.
Hunter, 76, admitted suffocating Janice, his wife of 52 years, at their home on the island, after she "begged him" to end her life as she suffered from blood cancer.
On Monday, judges at Paphos District Court imposed a two-year jail sentence on Hunter.
His legal team said he had been released shortly after the sentencing when Cypriot prison authorities had officially calculated his release date.
READ MORE: Man who killed his terminally ill wife "not getting hopes up" for sentencing
Judges previously found him not guilty of the more serious charge of premeditated murder.
Hunter's daughter, Leslie Cawthorne, who lives in Norwich, has spoken out in support of her father during the trial.
Following his release, Ms Cawthorne said: "The past 19 months have been a living nightmare for our family but today is the start of us being able to rebuild our lives.
"Dad’s release also means we can finally grieve for my mum and I hope everyone can respect our privacy whilst we take the time to come to terms with her loss."
READ MORE: 'My dad is not a murderer' - Norwich woman on father's verdict
David Hunter said he "can’t describe" how he was feeling as he appeared outside court in Cyprus for the first time since being released from custody, and thanked everyone who donated to the fundraising appeal for his legal costs.
Hunter’s legal team had argued he should be given a suspended sentence, in a case which is a legal first in the country.
In mitigation last week, his defence lawyer, Ritsa Pekri, said his motive was to “liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions”.
Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told his trial, which lasted for more than a year, that his wife "cried and begged" him to end her life.
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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here