By Lauren Bernard
A man from Queensland has lost his appeal and will see out his sentence of ten years in prison after pressuring and assisting his wife to kill herself.
As the sole beneficiary of his wife’s three life insurance policies, Graham Morant benefited $1.4 million in life insurance payouts as a result of her death.
During the original sentencing in 2018, Justice Peter Davis said Mr Morant “took advantage of her vulnerability as a sick and depressed woman.”
“You counselled your wife to kill herself because you wanted to get your hands on the $1.4 million.”
“You have not shown any remorse for the offences you have committed.”
Morant’s wife suffered from chronic back pain, depression and anxiety.
He claimed his wife wanted to die, however two close witnesses have come forward with an opposing view, stating that she felt threaten by her husband to kill herself.
The court heard during sentencing that Ms Morant felt the only way to save herself was by winning the lottery.
Emails before her death between the Ms Morant and euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke have arisen following Graham Morant conviction. Ms Morant’s emails pleaded to Nitschke for help in relieving her suffering by ending her life.
The Court of Appeal President Walter Sofronoff stated that these emails “reinforced Ms Morant’s vulnerability to the appellant’s inducements.”
Morant’s appeal was dismissed.