Philip Morris: Man who helped wife to die can inherit estate as judge orders exemption from legislation

A devoted husband who helped his terminally ill wife travel to Switzerland to end her life can inherit her estate, the High Court has ordered.

Philip Morris, 76, had been told because he had assisted in the suicide of Myra, 73, he was forbidden under English law from claiming her inheritance.

But after appealing to the High Court, and following eight months of hearings, a judge has finally ordered the legislation should not be applied in his case.

The judge said the couple’s two children, and other beneficiaries of Mrs Morris’ estate, all supported Mr Morris’ application and understood it was “not right” for her will to be ignored.

The court heard the couple married in 1977.

In 2016, Mrs Morris began suffering from dizziness, and in 2021, was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy, a rare disorder with no cure which left her in constant pain.

In April last year she was admitted to a care home after breaking her hip in a fall, and told her husband she wanted to go to Switzerland to take her own life.

She died on December 5 last year at the Pegasos clinic from an overdose of barbiturates.

In a statement to the court, Mr Morris said: “Myra was my soulmate for nearly 50 years, and it is very hard to cope with losing her. Everything I did, I did because she asked me to, and because I cared for her too much to refuse.”

Anyone who accompanies a relative to a country where euthanasia is allowed can be prosecuted for assisting suicide and faces up to 14 years in jail.

In a bid to avoid this, the couple sought legal advice, and Mrs Morris wrote a statement expressing her reasons for wanting to die.

Mr Morris also reported his wife’s death to police on his return to their home, in Mill Hill, north London.

It was decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute him.

High Court judge William Trower said: “Philip sacrificed his own happiness to honour the heartfelt wishes of his wife.

“It is clear this was not because he wanted her to die, but because he loved and respected his wife too much to disregard her wishes.”

The case comes as a Bill on assisted dying is due to be presented in Parliament this week which would give terminally ill adults the choice to end their life.