LONDON, UK, December 15, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Dr. Michael Irwin, chairman of the UK- based Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES), was arrested on charges of conspiracy to aid a terminally ill patient kill himself. Patrick Kneen, a retired farmer and Isle of Man resident, died in October. Kneen’s wife, Patricia, was also arrested for her involvement.
Dr. Irwin admitted to police that he conspired to kill Mr. Kneen. He later told London Telegraph reporters that the patient died of his terminal prostate cancer before he was able to administer the lethal medications. The doctor could face a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Police are considering exhuming the body to do an autopsy and determine if there is evidence of foul play. The death certificate said that Mr. Kneen died from cancer. The 15,000-member UK VES group campaigns to legalise voluntary euthanasia. See more euthanasia information and statistics from the Rochester Area Right To Life website: https://www.righttoliferoch.org/weuth01.htm, which reveals that in the UK, medical funding shortages and lack of hospital beds has led many doctors to withdraw treatments or actively assist in patient deaths, as reported there by the Sunday London Times.