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Home / New Zealand

Scientist to move after death threats

By Nigel Benson of the Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times·
16 Jan, 2012 10:33 PM3 mins to read

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Sean Davison. Photo / Sharron Bennett
Sean Davison. Photo / Sharron Bennett

Sean Davison. Photo / Sharron Bennett

Euthanasia reform campaigner Sean Davison is to move to a secret location after having his Dunedin residence attacked and receiving two death threats last week.

The move was "imminent'', he said last night.

"It's my friend's house and it's not fair that he's an innocent victim in this. I'm involved in a very sensitive moral issue, which some people do react quite extremely about, so I've got to take the abuse and attacks that come with that,'' he said.

"But, it's not fair that he's affected, because he isn't involved in the issue.''

The South Africa-based scientist was convicted in October of aiding the 2006 death of his terminally-ill mother, Dunedin doctor Patricia Elizabeth Davison (85), by acceding to her request for morphine.

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He was only charged after he admitted his actions in a book, Before We Say Goodbye, and was convicted and sentenced to five months home detention at the Kaikorai home of a friend. "He doesn't want me to go and I was quite settled,'' Davison said.

"But, it's wise to move because of the possibility of another attack. By moving, it will make them back off, because they won't know where I live.''

"But, the person whose house I'm moving to is very comfortable with me being there. And I've only got a travel bag. It's not like I've got a whole house to move.''

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A brick, with a note attached, was thrown through the window of his Kaikorai address at 11.05pm on Friday, landing on the living room floor. The note said: "Leave Gods [sic] laws or be struck down dead''.

The home belongs to John Landreth, who was shocked at the attack.

"I'd normally be sitting on the couch by the window at that time. If I had been sitting there on Friday night it could have killed me,'' Mr Landreth said yesterday.

"I'm angry the details of the address were revealed in court. It's a breach of my privacy.''

Discover more

New Zealand

Right-to-die scientist remains unrepentant

09 Jan 04:30 PM
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Euthanasia activist unfazed over death threats

15 Jan 11:54 PM
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Court published euthanasia campaigner's home address online

21 Jan 04:30 PM

Davison received a similar letter in the post last Thursday, after he featured in an Otago Daily Times article two days earlier. That note said: "An eye 4 an eye. A tooth 4 a tooth. A life 4 a life. U mother killer''.

Despite the religious overtones of the threats, which were constructed with letters cut from magazines, he does not believe they were from a genuinely religious person.

"I think someone is using the church to hide behind. No truly religious person would act like that.''

Davison's partner, Raine, and children, Flynn (3) and Finnian (1), have been waiting for his return to Cape Town since he was sentenced in the High Court at Dunedin on October 27 last year.

"You settle into a routine and try to make each day the same. I get up, do some work, exercise and eat. Then I do the same thing in the afternoon. If you stick to a routine it makes the the days easier.''

Senior Sergeant Kelvin Lloyd said Dunedin police were taking the attack and death threats seriously.

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"The potential for serious injury is obvious, with ... the weight of a brick, and the perpetrator couldn't have known if anyone was on the other side of the window.''

Dunedin police fingerprinted the letters yesterday.

Davison, who is head of the University of Western Cape forensic DNA laboratory in South Africa, has also sent the envelopes to be DNA-tested at his Cape Town laboratory.

He will complete his sentence on April 25.

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