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Australian Man Who Encouraged Wife’s Suicide Jailed in World First

Graham Morant wanted access to his wife’s life-insurance benefits.

An Australian man who encouraged his wife to kill herself so he could get his hands on a pot of life-insurance cash has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in what’s believed to be a world first. Graham Morant, 68, convinced his wife, Jennifer, to take her own life in 2014 so he could get A$1.4m ($1m). He pleaded not guilty, but a jury found that Mrs. Morant would not have ended her life without his efforts. She suffered from chronic pain, depression, and anxiety, but was not terminally ill. “You counseled your wife to kill herself because you wanted to get your hands on the A$1.4m,” Justice Peter Davis said in the Queensland Supreme Court on Friday. The judge said it seemed to be the first time anywhere in the world that a person had been sentenced for counseling someone to die by suicide. “You took advantage of her vulnerability as a sick and depressed woman,” he said.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).