Arrests In Assisted Suicide Probe
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of assisting the suicide of a disabled man from South Tyneside.
Retired engineer Douglas Sinclair, 76, had been suffering from the debilitating disorder multiple system atrophy for two years, his solicitor Christopher Potts said.
Mr Sinclair died at the Dignitas Clinic in Zurich on 28 July, Mr Potts added.
The woman and man arrested in connection with his death have been bailed pending further inquiries.
Mr Sinclair, a father-of-one, was being cared for at a care home in Jarrow, South Tyneside, when his conditioned worsened, earlier this year.
‘Very sharp’
Mr Potts, of South Shields-based Patterson, Glenton & Stracey, said: “I’ve known Dougie for years and he contacted me when his condition worsened.
“He’d made this decision that he wanted to die and wanted legal advice.
“I made him aware of the legal position and that there could be arrests if he was helped to die.
“He was a keen golfer, but by the end he had lost the use of his legs and was in a wheelchair, although his mind was still very sharp.”
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “A 47-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man from South Shields have been arrested on suspicion of intentionally doing an act to assist or encourage suicide following the death of a 76-year-old man in Switzerland.
“Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.”
Same Difference 