AN inspirational British resident wrongly convicted of rape and murder reduced This Morning viewers to tears as he told how he "asked to be executed" as he spent 22 years on death row.

US-born Nick Yarris became infected with hepatitis in 2002 after suffering a horrific beating in prison.

5 The emotional father-of-four reduced viewers to tears as he told his story on ITV's This Morning

5 This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield passed Nick Yarris a tissue

Tears streamed down his face this morning as he told how he "didn't want to die like that" when he found out the illness might kill him.

He asked to be executed so he could pass away with more dignity.

Nick, 55, was facing death by the electric chair after he was wrongly accused of raping and murdering a woman in his home state of Pennsylvania.

The father-of-four, who now lives in Yeovil, Somerset, said: "I didn't do the crime, but I had loved myself to say 'I'm not going to die like that'"

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A judge later refused to order Nick's execution and instead demanded DNA testing take place to confirm whether or not he was guilty.

Nick continued: "I pushed myself somehow to not be hurt by that, to somehow be a loving person.

"To find within myself anything good, it's all I had left.

"So I'm very grateful that I got a chance through Random House publishers to share my new book."

As a teenager, Nick Yarris (pictured) was a substance abuser and a gang member, but he was wrongly convicted of murder

5 Nick Yarris appeared on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme before he featured on This Morning Credit: Victoria Derbyshire - BBC 2

He added: "I wanted to use that empowerment over what they did to me to show people that it really matters that we take ourselves seriously."

During the heartbreaking interview Phillip Schofield, who presents This Morning with Holly Willoughby, passed Nick a tissue so he could dry his eyes.

Nick's incredible story will be at the centre of a Netflix drama telling how he spent decades on death row for a crime he didn't commit.

DNA evidence cleared him and he was released in 2004 after spending 8,057 days behind bars.

5 Yarris has published a book about his ordeal which is to be turned into a Netflix drama Credit: Getty Images

He has been speaking about his harrowing experiences ahead of the Netflix drama's release, which is based on his autobiographical book "The Fear OF 13: Countdown to Execution: My Fight for Survival on Death Row."

Nick's nightmare ordeal started in 1981 when aged 19 he was arrested after jumping a red light in a stolen car.

The alcoholic and drug addict ended up in a scuffle with a policeman, whose gun was discharged during the brawl - leading to Yarris being charged with attempted murder.

While in custody he read about the rape and murder of a young mum, and came up with a dishonest plan to bargain his way out of prison.

Nick made up information about the attack, and accused a man, who he believed to be dead, of carrying out the rape and murder of fellow Pennsylvanian Linda Craig.

His lies were quickly rumbled and Nick ended up accused of the murder himself.

He was later sentenced to death on flimsy evidence.

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