Euthanasia trial: 'Sons will be proud'

Sean Davison's partner Raine Pan. Photo / Supplied

Raine Pan, the partner of the UWC professor who helped his terminally ill mother to die in New Zealand, is collecting newspaper articles about him to show their children one day why their father has a criminal record.

Speaking to the Cape Times yesterday, Pan said she would show the newspapers to her sons - two-year-old Flynn and 16-month old Finnian - when they asked why their father, Sean Davison had a criminal record.

Pan visited Newspaper House this week to collect past issues of the Cape Times detailing Sean Davison's court case.

"Sean is a very honest person, he's very brave," she said.

"So one day the boys will feel very proud about what he's done. They will understand what Sean did is because of the love for his mother."

Davison went on trial last week after being arrested in New Zealand in September last year on an attempted murder charge.

He had admitted to giving his mother Patricia Ferguson, 85, a lethal dose of morphine in a leaked book manuscript.

Davison was cleared of attempted murder this week after agreeing to plead guilty to a lesser charge of inciting and procuring the suicide of his mother. He will be sentenced later this month.

Pan said she was relieved he no longer faces a charge of attempted murder but it was "unfair" he would have a criminal record for doing as his cancer-ravaged mother had wished.

Pan had spoken to him on Wednesday night after Davison had pleaded guilty to the lesser charges

"I'm pleased that he is getting rid of the attempted murder charge. But it is unfair that he has to plead guilty to the other charges because what he did was help his mother, as his mother wished.

"And now he has to say he's guilty, which is hard for him."

She said it was unlikely he would return home in the three weeks before he was sentenced in the Dunedin High Court.

"His sentencing is on the 24th of this month. We are not too sure yet but I don't think he will be back before the sentencing. The bail conditions remain," Pan said.

She said she didn't expect that her partner would be sent to jail but would serve house arrest.

"If he is sentenced to home detention in New Zealand it's like he's in jail because he can't come home."Pan, who owns a clothing boutique, said it was unlikely she would be able to visit Davison in New Zealand, unless her family agreed to help her out.

"I have work, I have to take care of the babies, the family home, the dogs and cats. Probably then there's a chance I can visit him."

Pan said while she was struggling with Sean's absence her young sons weren't aware of what was happening."

The children are fine because they are so small. They always call, 'Papa, Papa'. I try to let them talk but he doesn't want to talk because it is to hard for him."

Asked about plans for the future, Pan said: "We are planning to get married next year in China. But we'll see now. But there's no hurry, because it's for life."

- CAPE TIMES