Man, 83, becomes first Briton to choose Dignitas assisted suicide because he had dementia

Pensioner's family are said to have backed his decision '100 per cent'

Man's death at Swiss clinic has been publicised by 'Dr Death' Michael Irwin

Between 150 and 200 Britons have been helped to die at Dignitas



A retired professional man has become the first British dementia patient to end his life at the Dignitas clinic.

The wealthy 83-year-old chose to travel to the controversial clinic in Switzerland because he did not want to face the agony of the progressive disease.

He is believed to be the first person to use the clinic’s services solely because of dementia.

End of his life: An 83-year-old Briton has become the first from this country to chose assisted suicide at the Dignitas clinic near Zurich (pictured) because he has dementia The unnamed man from England went to the clinic after obtaining a report from a psychiatrist stating he was mentally competent to choose to kill himself. Retired GP Michael Irwin, who helped the man make his preparations, including the visit to the psychiatrist, said that he was ‘so grateful at the end’. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Briton WALKS FREE after Greek court agrees to downgrade... Painkillers taken by millions could increase heart risk:... Share this article Share Dr Irwin – nicknamed Dr Death because of the number of people he has helped end their lives at the clinic – said that the man wanted to spare his family from the strain his illness might put on them and that they ‘absolutely’ backed his decision. The man’s wife made the travel arrangements for the trip to Zurich and accompanied him.

Dr Irwin said: ‘I’ve spoken to the widow since she came back and she thought it was a very dignified departure that he had – very well handled by the Swiss. Controversial: Michael Irwin, nicknamed Dr Death, has publicised the death of the unnamed pensioner and has helped others die at Dignitas

Final resting place: Patients at Dignitas are taken to a room like this one and fed a cocktail of drugs that kills them in 30 minutes

DIGNITAS: THE SWISS CLINIC THAT'S HELPED AT LEAST 200 BRITONS DIE

Record numbers of Britons end their lives at Dignitas each year, while their relatives escape investigation for helping them.

The Swiss clinic aided 33 people from this country to die last year – the highest ever annual figure – pushing the total during the past decade close to 250.

Aiding or encouraging a suicide remains illegal in England and Wales under the 1961 Suicide Act and punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

But CPS guidelines published in 2010 spelled out that relatives would not be charged if they acted out of compassion to help a terminally ill person end their suffering.

Dignitas, set up in 1998, allows foreigners to use its services, and its own figures show that upwards of 200 Britons have now died there – with 33 deaths last year, up from 22 the year before. Anyone who wants the organisation’s help must become a member, pay about £10,000 and see a local doctor before being given a fatal dose of drugs to drink.

The CPS’s statistics reveal that police passed them 44 files on assisted suicides and cases of euthanasia – where a doctor administers the fatal dose – between 2009 and 2011.

By October 2012, the total had reached 66, including deaths in England and Wales as well as abroad. Of these, prosecutors chose not to proceed with 45, nine were withdrawn and 12 were still being looked into.

‘He was aware of the consequences of dementia. He knew what was going to happen to him.



'He was very clear about that. That is why he wanted to go when he did.



'Anybody who is diagnosed with dementia who has any idea what dementia is like would be scared silly about what was going to happen to him or her.

‘He didn’t want to go through it. Quite rightly so. His choice. He made a very sensible decision for himself and his family.’

Dr Irwin, who is co-ordinator of the Society for Old Age Rational Suicide, claims to have helped at least 25 people to die at the clinic.



'In the past he has been interviewed by police, but never arrested.



'Assisted suicide is a criminal offence in the UK and carries a maximum jail sentence of 14 years, but is allowed in Switzerland.

Lord Falconer, a former Lord Chancellor, earlier this month launched a private member’s Bill in the Lords to make assisted dying legal for the terminally ill.

Dr Irwin said he believes the debate should be extended to include those with dementia.

He added: ‘In the early stages of dementia you are still mentally competent to decide that you would like your life to end.



'Once a diagnosis has been made, there is a period of a year or 18 months in which your degree of mental competence is still OK for that type of decision.’

But critics have warned that if euthanasia is legalised there would be pressure on those eligible to end their lives.

A spokesman for Care Not Killing said: ‘We’ve been warning about an incremental approach, as once you change the law you get more and more cases like this, which is why we are so worried.

‘We know that people who are vulnerable, disabled and terminally ill will be most under pressure.’

More than 800,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia and the number is set to rise to more than a million by 2021 and 1.7 million by 2050. There is currently no cure.

Since Dignitas opened in 1998 more than 200 Britons have died there.

