Friend of David Hunter, who is accused of killing terminally ill wife, visits him in Cyprus prison

• Report by Katie Cole

A friend of David Hunter who is charged with murdering his terminally ill wife in Cyprus has flown out to support him.

Barry Kent, from Lynemouth, has helped to fundraise the legal costs for David Hunter, who he worked with down the mines in Northumberland.

Barry is David's first visitor since he was locked up in a Cypriot prison four months ago.

He said: "We're a band of brothers, when one is down, the rest come out to help - and I'm glad it is something that I can do."

On Tuesday (18 April), Barry went to put flowers on Janice’s grave, something David has been desperate to do but can’t because he's in prison.

Barry said: "It's not just for me, it's for David, and everybody back home, all the support we've had, it's been really great.

"I'd like to think, Janice, where ever she is, knows that we are doing our best for David.

"From day one, his [David] biggest thing was 'I can't even get to the grave to put flowers on' and it was so upsetting.

"He was so upset, he always wanted to put some flowers on her grave... We've done it for him, and that's probably the best we're going to get for the time being, hopefully not too long before he can come here and do something like this himself."

Neighbours Petra and Helmut Kesting spoke about the pair as a loving and devoted couple - but also about a woman that was suffering.

Petra said, "About once a week when they came back from the hospital, we talked together a little bit, and most of the time it was about pain and surgery.

"I don't remember a time when she wasn't well."

Helmut believes David must have been very desperate at the time of the incident:

"I do not agree to kill somebody," he said.

"But I'm sure that he did this only to care about her, and not for a selfish motive."

David Hunter told police his wife Janice begged him to end her life after a terminal blood cancer diagnosis. She was found dead at the home they shared in the village of Tremithousa on 18 December 2021.

David Hunter's daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, told ITV News Tyne Tees that they will keep working with lawyers to push for the assisted suicide charge to be accepted.

She also thanked friends and former colleagues of her dad who have been helping to fundraise towards legal costs.

Ms Cawthorne added how Barry coming to see her dad was the first familiar face he'd seen since this happened four months ago.

She just hopes one day soon her dad will come home - so they can grieve their mum together.

• What happens next?

On Monday 18 April the case had been adjourned till 16 June.

It comes as legal teams on both sides asked for more time to gather evidence - including Janice's medical records and the post mortem reports.

David's lawyer was also given a suicide note - believed to be written by David which was found at their home.

If a trial does get underway in June it could last up to three months - and it will not be heard by a jury, but by three judges.