A grandfather with motor neurone disease penned a candid letter to MPs and published it in the moments before he ended his life at the Dignitas clinic today.
Retired accountant Geoff Whaley, from Buckinghamshire, chose to die at Dignitas in Switzerland, rather than face 'immense suffering' in the end stages of the devastating disease.
The grandfather-of-four, 80, passed away at the clinic at 10am this morning.
Just moments before his death, he posted a haunting letter to the Government, calling for a change in the law which he said, 'robbed me of control over my death.'
He revealed how he 'sobbed' when his wife was grilled by police, adding: '[The law] sought to punish those attempting to help me get there. The hypocrisy and cruelty of this is astounding.'
Mr Whaley wanted assisted suicide to be made legal in the UK after his wife of 52 years, Ann, was interviewed under caution last week and warned she faces 14 years in prison for helping her husband to die.
When asked about helping her husband 'commit suicide', 76-year-old Mrs Whaley said: 'I don't think of it like that. When you've got a husband as brave as mine you have to support him.'
Geoff Whaley, who has motor neurone disease, is set to die at the clinic in Zurich, Switzerland today
In a letter to the Government, Mr Whaley asked MPs to reconsider the law on assisted suicide
Mr Whaley wrote to MPs: 'On Thursday 7 February 2019, I will have taken medication that will end my life, surrounded by my wife, Ann, my children, Alix and Dominic, and a couple of my dearest friends at the Dignitas facility in Switzerland. With their love and support I have been able to fulfil my final wish: to be in control of my end, rather than endure the immense suffering motor neurone disease had in store for me'
Mr and Mrs Whaley on their wedding day. Ann, was interviewed under caution and warned she faces 14 years in prison for helping her husband to die
Under English it is illegal to provide information, advice, support or assistance to anyone intending to take their own life.
Family and loved ones who travel with a patient to Dignitas and are present during the process face the risk of prosecution and up to 14 years in prison when they return to the UK.
Patients travelling to Dignitas also need to be sufficiently healthy to travel from the UK to Switzerland, something that can quickly be robbed from patients with degenerative illnesses.
In May 2018, Dignitas confirmed the 394th person from the UK had died in its clinic.
Campaign group Dignity In Dying estimates that every eight days a Briton makes the journey to Dignitas.
Care Not Killing, an alliance of organisations and individuals opposed to a relaxation in assisted dying and euthanasia laws, estimates 273 Britons have travelled abroad for assisted suicide in the last 13 years.
Father-of-two Mr Whaley was diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years ago and in December doctors told him that he had six to nine months left.
He and his wife had their last meal together at a hotel in Zurich, with their two adopted children, Alix and Dominic.
Mr Whaley has left letters for his four grandchildren, aged four to 17.
Mrs Whaley booked the flights to Switzerland and a hotel because her husband can no longer use his hands.
Mr Whaley revealed how the stress of his wife being summoned to a police station had, 'destroyed everything we had done to prepare ourselves'.
He also wrote a letter to the Government asking for them to reconsider the law on assisted suicide.
It was posted online shortly before he died.
He said he 'does not fear death, but fears the journey.'
The 80-year-old said the final weeks of his life, 'have been blighted by visits from social services and police.'
He adds: 'I want to impress upon you the anguish me and my family have experienced, not because of this awful illness (though of course this has been incredibly difficult), but because of the law against assisted dying in this country.
'No family should ever have to endure the torment we have undergone in recent weeks.'
Mr Whaley, pictured with his daughter Alix on her wedding day, had dinner with his wife and children the night before he died
Geoff Whaley, pictured with his daughter Alix, passed away at the clinic at 10am
Mr Whaley said the law 'sought to punish those attempting to help me'
The 80-year-old, pictured with his wife Ann, said the final weeks of his life, had 'been blighted by visits from social services and police.'
Mr Whaley said the law in this country 'robbed me of control over my death'
Speaking on the BBC, Mr and Mrs Whaley discussed their decision to travel to the controversial clinic in Switzerland.
Mr Whaley said he and his wife had 'reconciled themselves' to the fact that he would end his life and gave the reasoning behind his decision.
Mrs Whaley also revealed how she was questioned by Thames Valley Police officers who were responding to an anonymous call was received through the social services.
She said: 'They [police] were clearly not expecting to find a non abusive situation . They were quite embarrassed.
'His final limb had gone and he could no longer do anything for himself at all...he can't hold a phone, he can't press numbers, he can't feed himself - whereas before he could hold a glass of gin and tonic even if I put a straw in it, he could do that.'
Mr Whaley told the BBC: 'It is one of the illnesses that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
'The final weeks or months which can be particularly gruesome I decided that I didn't really want to go through that. We were quite reconciled to that.'
Mr Whaley was diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years ago and in December doctors told him that he had six to nine months left
