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| Right-to-die man Tony Nicklinson dead after refusing food | Right-to-die man Tony Nicklinson dead after refusing food |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tony Nicklinson, a man with locked-in syndrome who fought for the right to legally end his life, has died. | |
| The 58-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005 and described his life as a "living nightmare". | The 58-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005 and described his life as a "living nightmare". |
| Last week Mr Nicklinson, from Melksham, Wiltshire, lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life. | Last week Mr Nicklinson, from Melksham, Wiltshire, lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life. |
| Mr Nicklinson's family solicitor said that he had refused food from last week. | |
| Lawyers for another man, 47, who lost his High Court case alongside Mr Nickinson, are to appeal against the decision. | |
| They said it denied their client "the opportunity to take the necessary steps to end his own life". | |
| Mr Nicklinson's family solicitor Saimo Chahal said he died at home at about 10:00 BST accompanied by his wife, Jane, and two daughters, Lauren and Beth. | |
| She said: "Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia." | She said: "Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia." |
| 'Heartbroken by decision' | 'Heartbroken by decision' |
| She added: "Jane said that, after Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him. | She added: "Jane said that, after Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him. |
| When Tony Nicklinson had a catastrophic stroke it left his body almost completely paralysed; however, his intellect was undimmed. | When Tony Nicklinson had a catastrophic stroke it left his body almost completely paralysed; however, his intellect was undimmed. |
| He overcame the difficulty of communicating through blinking to launch a challenge on the law on assisted suicide and murder, which went further than any before. | He overcame the difficulty of communicating through blinking to launch a challenge on the law on assisted suicide and murder, which went further than any before. |
| Mr Nicklinson wanted the "right-to-die" yet was unable to take his own life or take a cocktail of lethal drugs prepared for him. He would need to be killed by someone else, which would constitute murder. | Mr Nicklinson wanted the "right-to-die" yet was unable to take his own life or take a cocktail of lethal drugs prepared for him. He would need to be killed by someone else, which would constitute murder. |
| Mr Nicklinson wanted the law changed to ensure doctors would not be charged if they took his life. It would have been a huge change to the law. While High Court judges said the case was "deeply moving" they ruled that the issue was for Parliament to decide. | Mr Nicklinson wanted the law changed to ensure doctors would not be charged if they took his life. It would have been a huge change to the law. While High Court judges said the case was "deeply moving" they ruled that the issue was for Parliament to decide. |
| Mr Nicklinson said he was "devastated" by the decision and last week had vowed to continue the challenge. | Mr Nicklinson said he was "devastated" by the decision and last week had vowed to continue the challenge. |
| "He said that he was heartbroken by the High Court decision that he could not end his life at a time of his choosing with the help of a new doctor. | "He said that he was heartbroken by the High Court decision that he could not end his life at a time of his choosing with the help of a new doctor. |
| "He could not understand how the legal argument on his behalf could not succeed." | "He could not understand how the legal argument on his behalf could not succeed." |
| She said Mr Nicklinson had told her two days after the ruling he was "crestfallen, totally devastated and very frightened". | She said Mr Nicklinson had told her two days after the ruling he was "crestfallen, totally devastated and very frightened". |
| He had added: "I fear for the future and the misery it is bound to bring. | He had added: "I fear for the future and the misery it is bound to bring. |
| "I suppose it was wrong of me to invest so much hope and expectation into the judgment but I really believed in the veracity of the argument and quite simply could not understand how anybody could disagree with the logic. | "I suppose it was wrong of me to invest so much hope and expectation into the judgment but I really believed in the veracity of the argument and quite simply could not understand how anybody could disagree with the logic. |
| "I guess I forgot the emotional component." | "I guess I forgot the emotional component." |
| Ms Chahal said Mr Nicklinson had made an advanced directive in 2004 refusing any life-sustaining treatment. | Ms Chahal said Mr Nicklinson had made an advanced directive in 2004 refusing any life-sustaining treatment. |
| 'Goodbye world' | 'Goodbye world' |
| His family had earlier updated his personal Twitter account. | His family had earlier updated his personal Twitter account. |
| The messages said: "You may already know, my Dad died peacefully this morning of natural causes. he was 58. | The messages said: "You may already know, my Dad died peacefully this morning of natural causes. he was 58. |
| "Before he died, he asked us to tweet: 'Goodbye world the time has come, I had some fun'." | "Before he died, he asked us to tweet: 'Goodbye world the time has come, I had some fun'." |
| Gezz Higgins, a friend and former rugby club team-mate in Kent, said before his stroke he was a "happy-go-lucky" man. | |
| "He was an exceptionally good and sociable guy," he said. "The sort of fella who, when he walked into a room, you knew things would liven up a bit." | |
| Wiltshire Police said the force was not investigating Mr Nicklinson's death. | Wiltshire Police said the force was not investigating Mr Nicklinson's death. |
| Mr Nicklinson had been paralysed since suffering a stroke while on a business trip to Athens. | Mr Nicklinson had been paralysed since suffering a stroke while on a business trip to Athens. |
| He had campaigned for the law to be changed to allow doctors to assist his suicide without fear of prosecution. | He had campaigned for the law to be changed to allow doctors to assist his suicide without fear of prosecution. |
| Prior to last week's case, in an article he wrote for the BBC, he had described his life as "a living nightmare". | Prior to last week's case, in an article he wrote for the BBC, he had described his life as "a living nightmare". |
| He said: "What I find impossible to live with is the knowledge that... I have no way out - suicide - when this life gets too much to bear." | He said: "What I find impossible to live with is the knowledge that... I have no way out - suicide - when this life gets too much to bear." |
| He added: "It cannot be acceptable in 21st Century Britain that I am denied the right to take my own life just because I am physically handicapped." | He added: "It cannot be acceptable in 21st Century Britain that I am denied the right to take my own life just because I am physically handicapped." |
| However, three High Court judges rejected his plea for the law to be changed, saying the issue should be left to Parliament. | However, three High Court judges rejected his plea for the law to be changed, saying the issue should be left to Parliament. |
| Mr Nicklinson said he would appeal against the decision but his lawyer said this would not end unless "someone steps forward in similar circumstances to pursue the action". | |
| Professor Penney Lewis, professor of law at the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College London, said that Mr Nicklinson's plight would continue to raise questions about a change in the law. | Professor Penney Lewis, professor of law at the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College London, said that Mr Nicklinson's plight would continue to raise questions about a change in the law. |