Victorian man assisted sick father?s suicide ?out of love and respect for his wishes?, judge says

Victorian man Colin Stratton would have done absolutely anything for his family.

But after a lengthy battle against aggressive bowel cancer robbed him of the ability to do the things he loved, he asked his family to do something for him, the Victorian supreme court heard on Thursday.

Just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, Stratton decided he was ready to die.

He had seen his wife of 50 years, Suzanne, spend the final years of her life disabled and requiring high-level care after a stroke, prompting both of them to support voluntary euthanasia and join the Dying with Dignity organisation.

The court heard that on 24 May this year, Stratton went to a GP and asked for a suicide pill. Dying on his own terms was something he had wanted for a long time, so she wasn't surprised.

But when the doctor told him the paperwork would take up to two weeks, Stratton decided he'd do it himself.

Stratton left the clinic with his 54-year-old son Glenn Stratton. When they arrived at his home near Castlemaine, in central Victoria, he asked Glenn to get a .22-calibre rifle and bullet from his shed. Glenn protested, but finally agreed when his father said he would do it himself.