A woman described as a “devoted daughter” has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting to the manslaughter of her terminally ill father. Dr. Lisa Davenport used a pillow to smother her father, Barrie Davenport, 88, at the Foxhall Court retirement home in Banbury on October 17, 2022. Judge Mr. Justice Linden handed her a two-year suspended prison sentence, acknowledging that her actions were driven by a desire to end her father’s suffering as his end was near.
Initially denying murder but pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, Davenport had been distressed by her father’s terminal pancreatic cancer and the pain he was experiencing. Prosecuting attorney John Price KC stated that staff and a doctor at the retirement complex did not suspect foul play initially, assuming his death to be imminent due to natural causes. However, it was later revealed that Davenport had unlawfully killed her father by smothering him with a pillow at 7:00 that evening.
Davenport confessed to a neighbor an hour later, asking them to keep quiet, and the following morning informed the retirement home manager, who then contacted the authorities. Price emphasized that without these confessions, the crime may not have been uncovered. He noted that despite the tragic event, Davenport had been a dedicated caregiver to her father as his health declined, going above and beyond in her care for him.
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