Robert Knight, in the UK, plead guilty to manslaughter for killing his mother, June Knight who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
According to the BBC news, Knight was cleared of murder and received a two year suspended sentence for pushing his mother off of the balcony at the care home where she lived. The case referred to as a “mercy killing”. The BBC news report stated:
Knight placed his mother on a railing before pushing her to her death on 10 December, Basildon Crown Court heard.
He was cleared of murder and was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years.
Sentencing Knight at Basildon Crown Court, Judge Samantha Leigh said: “You are someone who acted out of love and desperation.
“You have been punished enough and you have to live with what you have done.”
She added that it had been a “very sad case” and described it as a “mercy killing”.
Essex Police Detective, Daniel Stoten, told BBC news:
Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten said the jury had agreed that Knight had suffered a loss of control when he killed his mother.
He said: “I do not doubt that Robert Knight loved his mother deeply, but his actions were deplorable and they have affected many, many people.”
The sentence must be appealed.
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I recognize that Alzheimer’s is a difficult condition, but a suspended sentence for killing a mother with Alzheimer’s offers a green light to others experiencing similar situations. The message to society is that Alzheimer’s makes you a second class citizen and that the court will deal leniently when these people are killed.
Everyone deserves to be cared for, not killed.
LifeNews.com Note: Alex Schadenberg is the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition and you can read his blog here. File photo.
