Douglas Sinclair told care home staff of suicide intention (From The Northern Echo)

Douglas Sinclair told care home staff of suicide intention

8:36am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

A NORTH-EAST pensioner who chose to end his life at an assisted suicide clinic told nursing home staff of his intentions months ago, it has emerged.

Medical, legal and social services staff attended a meeting organised by South Tyneside Council nine months ago after Douglas Sinclair, 76, told staff at Stapleton House Care Home, in Jarrow, South Tyneside, of his decision.

It is understood Mr Sinclair, from South Shields, South Tyneside, who was suffering from the debilitating disorder multiple system atrophy, took his own life at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, on July 28.

The condition attacks the brain and nervous system, causing sufferers to lose feeling and control of muscles.

Mr Sinclair’s only daughter, Helen, 41, of Darlington, last night defended her late father’s decision.

“My father was a popular and caring man,” she said.

“He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.

“He was devastated by the loss of his wife, my mother, and since his illness decided to end his life with dignity in the manner of his choosing.

“Although this was disturbing and upsetting for me, I respect his decision and hope others respect my wishes to grieve in private.”

The news comes as Northumbria Police confirmed that two people, a 47- year-old woman and a 48-yearold man, also from South Shields, have been arrested on suspicion of assisting his suicide.

It is understood the pair were friends of Mr Sinclair’s who accompanied him to Switzerland. They were bailed pending further inquiries.

Mr Sinclair’s solicitor, Chris Potts, of Patterson, Glenton and Stracey, accompanied By Lauren Pyrah lauren.pyrah@nne.co.uk them to police interviews.

A decision on whether to charge anyone will be made by the Crown Prosecution Service’s most senior figure, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Yesterday, friends said Mr Sinclair, a keen golfer fondly known as Dougie, had been devastated by the loss of his wife, Monica, to leukaemia ten years ago.

Former neighbour Joe Bolam, 68, of Highfield Drive, South Shields, said: “When we heard the news, the whole street was devastated. But if it’s true that he made the decision to take his own life, then I have no problem with that. It’s his life and his choice.”

Mr Sinclair’s body was flown back to Britain for his funeral at the Holy Rosary Church in South Shields last week. His ashes were buried at South Tyneside’s Harton Cemetery.

The case has reopened the debate on reforming the law surrounding assisted suicide.

Compassionately assisting a terminally ill person to die is illegal in the UK. This includes accompanying a person to a jurisdiction where assisted dying is legal.

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that a safeguarding meeting took place on January 20 and we called the meeting in response to Mr Sinclair making staff at the home aware of his intention to go to Dignitas.”