Killer son Ralph Stephenson may be freed

Mar 30 2010 by Rob Kennedy, The Journal

A SON who killed his seriously ill father in his hospital bed to “put him out of his misery” is likely to be released within weeks.

Ralph Stephenson could not cope with the strain of watching his 86-year-old dad, also called Ralph, slowly dying of numerous medical conditions.

After his request for medics to give his dad an injection to bring an end to his suffering was rejected, he took the law into his own hands.

He strangled Mr Stephenson with such force it caused nine fractures to his ribs and a fracture to his larynx.

But a judge at Newcastle Crown Court said the 46-year-old Royal Mail worker should receive a community order, although sentence was adjourned while a plan is drawn up to set out how best to look after him upon release.

Mr Justice Openshaw said: “The right to a dignified and peaceful death is one of the fundamentals of human life.

“No one, even if they are acting out of compassion, is entitled to take a life even if the end of the natural life is very near. However, the defendant had mental health problems himself and the public interest in condemning his actions is sufficiently served by the conviction for the manslaughter of his father, this burden will be with him for the rest of his life.”

The court head only child Stephenson had been very close to his dad and was wracked with guilt having allowed him to move into a residential care home.

Having watched him then deteriorate after being admitted to hospital, Stephenson, who had psychiatric problems, decided to kill him to ease his suffering.