The High Court at Hamilton.
Photo: RNZ / Edward Gay
Matamata man Roy Morton, 82, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Hamilton.
He attempted to kill his wife and himself on two occasions after she suffered a debilitating stroke in October last year.
He claimed that even though his wife was unable to verbally communicate with him he knew from her gestures that she wanted to die.
Justice Davison did not accept that due to Morton s lack of capability to understand.
He described Morton s actions as planned and pre-meditated and that Morton was vulnerable to exploitation.
Morton was motivated by his genuine compassion and love for his wife, Justice Davison said.
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The defendant couldn’t bear to see his wife suffer after a severe stroke left her unable to move without help and made communication very difficult (file photo).
A man in his 80s who took his wife from a care home and tried to enact what he says was a failed suicide pact has been sentenced to home detention. After decades of marriage, Roy Ernest Morton, 82, became increasingly concerned about how his wife was being looked after in a Waikato care home in the months following a severe stroke. His desperation came to a head on October 12, 2020, when he took her out under the pretext of a walk, and made an attempt on both of their lives.
An 82-year-old Matamata man has been given home detention over the attempted murder of his wife in a suicide pact.
The judge agreed that Roy Morton has a deep emotional bond with his wife who suffered a severe stroke.
Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
Morton was distressed by his wife s condition after she suffered a debilitating stroke and did not believe she was being well looked after.
He said they agreed to a suicide pact as she wanted to end her life.
Morton tried twice to carry out the pact using piping from his car s exhaust but failed.
The first time was in his car in his garage; the second time it was at a road layby but he was spotted by a passing motorist, who called police. Morton drove off and ended up near Karapiro where he was intercepted by officers.
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An elderly man has been sentenced to four and a half months home detention for the attempted murder of his wife in a suicide pact. File picture. Source: istock.com
Matamata man Roy Morton, 82, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Hamilton.
He attempted to kill his wife and himself on two occasions after she suffered a debilitating stroke in October last year.
He claimed that even though his wife was unable to verbally communicate with him he knew from her gestures that she wanted to die.
Justice Davison did not accept that due to Morton s lack of capability to understand.
An elderly man took his frail wife out for a walk from her nursing home and attempted to kill both of them to end her suffering .
Roy Ernest Morton, 82, grew increasingly exasperated over how his wife was being cared for in the New Zealand facility after she suffered a stroke.
On Friday, he was sentenced to four-and-a-half months of home detention for the failed attempt, which he claimed was a suicide pact.
The court acknowledged his motivation was to release his wife from what he felt was suffering as she was unable to move or talk.
Justice Davison said that while the man clearly cared for his wife she could not have agreed to a suicide pact (stock image)