Published Date:
11 October 2008
By John-Paul Ford Rojas
A RETIRED civil servant was spared jail yesterday after he admitted smothering his ailing wife in hospital with two plastic bags.
Sidney Eric Norton, 86, killed his wife Betty, 84, after becoming terrified he would no longer be able to look after her, the Old Bailey heard.
Mrs Norton suffered a stroke in 2000, leaving her confined to the ground floor of their home in New Cross, south London. By last year, she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
On 2 November, Norton visited the hospital ward where she was living and killed her.
Norton, who admitted manslaughter, was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Judge Brian Barker told him: "I am totally convinced you are a thoughtful, kind and honest man and had been a devoted husband."
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Last Updated:
10 October 2008 9:52 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
