Man convicted of ailing wife's 'mercy killing'

HELSINKI (AP) — A Danish court has convicted a 78-year-old man of killing his ailing wife with sleeping pills, but given him a suspended sentence.

The Court of Helsingoer on Monday found the man guilty of "killing on request," or "being active in committing euthanasia." It gave him a 50-day suspended prison sentence.

Neither the man nor his 71-year-old wife was named.

The man confessed to yielding to requests from the wife "he had loved for 50 years" and giving her 100 sleeping pills to help her end her life.

He told the court he did not regret his actions, describing the death as a mercy killing.

Court documents state that doctors at a clinic where the wife was being treated for spinal injuries had said they could not treat her condition.