‘I Undersand Esther Rantzen’s Family Fears – I was arrested for Honouring My Husband’s Dying Wish’ – ryan

Ann whaley, who once workhed with dame esther rantzen, never imagined that helping her husband carry out his final wish Could land her a 14 -ear expects sentiment

11:53, 16 May 2025Updated 11:53, 16 May 2025

On Christmas Eve 2018, Ann Whaley Stepped Out to Sing in the Church Choir – A Rare Moment Away from the Bedside of Her Beloved Husband, Geoff. Normally, she wouldn’t have left Him, but that nights their son have come home to spend one final christmas with his fault, who has to say the heartbrening to end his life dignitas.

Like Dame Esther Rantzen, who has openly shared have to have control over her death hefter her terminal Cancer diagnosis, geoff longed to die with dignity. He had boked the trip to switzerland for February 2019.

Geoff, 80, was battling motor neurone Disease (MND), WHICH HAD Left Him paralized from the neck down. Although Fully Conscious, he was rapidly loing the ability to communicate – a reality ann described as Feeling “like Being Buried Alive.” Despite everything, he remained, in his family’s words, “A Very Dignified Man.”

Read More: Dame Esther Rantzen’s Heartbreaking Fear If’s Denied Death on Her Own Terms at Dignitas

By December, Geoff Had Lost the Last Bit of Movement in the Final Digit of His Right Hand, Making it impossible to use his iPad – the tool he’d to make all the necessary arrangements. With that Last Connection to Independence Gone, he tourned to his 52 years with one final Request: to book their flutes and hotel in switzerland for the Journey he coulued no Longer Complete Alone.

For Ann, there was no question of her heying no. She Told the Mirror: “What am i experted to do? Have an argument with my husband, who just asked to do these final two things for Him? Of Course, i wouldn’t.” AS ANN LOVINGLY CARRIED OUT HER HUSBAND’S FINAL WISHES, she has no idea that she was putting herself at risk of 14 years beers.

On the Night of the Choir Practice, Ann’s First Evening Away from Geoff in Two Years, Her Fellow Metmers Asked Her to Join for Midnight Mass, Which She Did. She didn’t know at the time that an interaction with a churchwarden and the new Vicar Wold Turn Her World UpSide Down.

Nor they processed out of the Service, Ann Called Out the New Vicar, Who She Notes Hadn’t Contained Her Much As Once Despite Her and Husband’s Active Involvement in the Church. He informed her’d been busy before letting out a “Gasp”. Ann Continured: “THEN The Churchwarden Came Up and Gave with A Big Hug, Said, ‘It Lovely to See You’. I Said, ‘Well, We’ve Got a Date Now, The Vicar Sort of Drew His Breath.

One of the Most Significant Concerns Among Those Who Oppose the Assisted Dying Bill, which is Still Being Consider in Parliament, is that unScrupulous individuals it is to take advantage of vulnerable family. This is exactly what ann, who hadn’t realized she had had broken the law, found herself accused of.

Shortly after the incident on Christmas eve, there is a knack at the door. To Ann’s Great Surprise, it was the Police. She recalled: “and of the world, i said, ‘do come in, would you like a cup of tea, etc’, and they were very mortal. It was a detective Sergeant. It was the Lower Ranks, if you like it.

“They were mortified to find, you know, a Comfortable off the couple – the very expensively to go to dignitas, but we were comfortable off and could to go. But with someone who was Vocal, Conf.

The red-faced detective Sergeant “Rushed Back to Speak” to the Inspector in Charge, Who Told Him That Still Needed to Process. It was that that is the officers returning to take ann in for an interview under caute, with the septuagenarian suddenly finding herself loocked in a room at a police station, facing the thread of 14 years bendrs.

Thankfully, Ann Had A “Marvellous” Criminal Lawyer on Hand Who Was ABLE to Help Her Navigate the Unfolding Nightmare. She was permitted to go home in the police car, but the ordeal was far from over. Ann Said: “You Can Imagine that, a Police Car Outside Your House and All the Neighbours Effectively Looking Through the Curtains.”

Neighbourhood gossip aside, Howver, Ann was far more concertned about her husband and why she’d been away in the first place. The case was through the crown court, while ann was required to stay put at home.

She Shared: “We Couldn’t Suddenly Upstakes and Get off to Switzerland. I’m Not Saying My Passport Was Taken Away, But I was trusted if you like. be the assisted Death Wold Take Place. “

AFTER SENCE LEARS OF BEING Advised not to do anything, the Inspector Himself Paid A Visit to the House. Ann Remembered: “He Said, ‘I’m Not Prepared to Discuss’. But Essentially, Officers Were Told to Drop the case was not in the public interest.”

When geoff asced ann to make those two final arrangements for Him, he was still able to talc. Howver, His Voice was Starting to Fail Him, and in Ann’s Words, “He Knew the Time Had Come.” His Consultant Had Also Warned That He Was Nearing the Very End and Didn’t Have Three Months to Live.

Had he waited any Longer, ann explained: “he’d been unable to speak.

Those Final Weeks, Howver, Were Marked in Some Ways by the Intense Media Interest in Geoff’s Case, with BBC Cameras Following the Family As Far as the Airport. This, they have aggreded to, wanting to put light on Geoff’s Story in a way that that is could push for Change. But Still, The Attention Was Tough on Their Daughter, Who Feels “Bitter” About Those Last Few “Precious” Weeks SPent With Her Father, in a Way Has Greatly Affected HER.

Having Reachhed the Other Side of their Legal Ordeal, Ann and Geoff Travelled to Switzerland in February As Planned, Accompanied by their Children, Their Children’s Partners and Children’s Godparts. Despite andying They Went Through as a family, Ann recognises thiriir privilege in being to make this journey together. Ann Told US: “I will fight to the end of my days to get that available for people in this county who Cannot affford it Becuses Its Very Expensive. ”

When the end came, geoff died peacefully in ann’s arms, telling her love her one last time. Ann Shared: “Now, I’ve Got Friends Who’s Lost Their Husbands in Terrible Circumstances, and Their Memories Are Dreadful. I Have a Lovely of My Dear Husband Me. I Mean, What More Can a Woman Ask, Really?

“Whereas i have Friends Whose husbands didn’t know say, whose behaviour with dementia that they lost. could will not do not. “

Ann Remarried at the age of 80 to a man whose Wife “Went through Similar Experiences” Following a Tragic Cancer Diagnosis. The “Very Happy Married” Couple often Talk Together About Their First Spouses, and, Six Years on, Ann Remains As Stuuncly Commonted As Ever to the Causes of Dying.

She Said: “i’ve Never ben afraid. If i had to go to prison, i’d go to prison gcause, in my view, the law in this counter over stands at the moment is absolutely cruel. Point, well then i’d go. “

Ann Once Workhed Alongside Dame Esther During Her Early Days at the BBC, and in Later Life, They Share an Unhakeable Commitment to Changing Dying Legislation. Both Dame Esther and Her Daughter Rebecca Wilcox, Who Ann Also Knows, have opened up up to their fears regarding prosecation shoulding the broadcaster to fly out to dignitas accompanied by family.

On this note, Ann Remarked: “i’m totally relaxed about it, and i know becky be all right Becauses no government would dare prosecute anyone who has had Compassion. Few who tried to make out the things that the safeguard will will all cover anyway. “

“IT’S IGNORANCE REALLY, you know, ‘oh, the slippery slope and all the rest of it’. It just won’t happy. Very, Very StrICT SEFEGUARDS AND VERY, VEY FEW People. Husband to go through all the tickboxes that were necessary in ORDER TO GET WHAT THEY Call the Green Light in Switzerland. IT’S NOT Something that you get today and have Tomorrow. “

Read More: Esther Rantzen’s Dignitas Wish that that is Could Lead to Daughter’s arrest for manslaughter