<p>Ray Gosling told the East Midlands’ ‘Inside Out’ programme, broadcast on Monday night, that he had agreed to smother his lover, who was living with Aids, if his suffering became too intense.<br /><br />Gosling said his partner had been in hospital in “terrible pain” when a doctor told him there was nothing more that could be done.<br />Gosling said he asked the doctor to leave them alone and then, “I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead”.<br /><br />A spokeswoman for the Nottinghamshire police said the force had not been aware of the issue until the broadcaster made his revelation on television on Monday night. “We are now liaising with the BBC and will investigate the matter,” she said.<br /><br />In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme on Tuesday morning, the broadcaster said he was not worried by the prospect of a police investigation. “I don’t worry,” he said. “I did what I did from my heart.” Seventy-year-old said the incident happened in “the early period of Aids” and he had come to an agreement with his partner, who he described as “my bit on the side”, that Gosling would end his life if the pain became too much.<br /><br />“That’s what I did and if there’s a heaven he would look down and be proud of me,” he said. Gosling said he had chosen now to reveal his actions because he was filming a documentary on dying and had met other people facing a similar dilemma. He insisted he was “not making a case”. When asked whether the law on mercy killing should change, he told the ‘Today’ programme: “I don’t know.”<br /><br />Gosling explained: “Everyone else had revealed themselves to me and I felt I had to reveal myself to them and say I was once there.” He added: “If it happens to a lover or friend of yours, a husband, a wife, and I hope it does not, but when it does sometimes you have to do brave things and you have to say — to use Nottingham language — bugger the law.” Gosling did not give any information on who the man was, or when or where the incident occurred.<br /><br />A BBC spokeswoman said Ray was made fully aware of the potential consequences of him making the confession. As part of our journalistic integrity we felt we needed to keep that revelation in the report.<br /><br />She said producers had neither tried to “dissuade or persuade” Gosling from revealing the euthanasia, and that the BBC would co-operate fully with any probe. She said the programme was filmed towards the end of 2009.</p>
<p>Ray Gosling told the East Midlands’ ‘Inside Out’ programme, broadcast on Monday night, that he had agreed to smother his lover, who was living with Aids, if his suffering became too intense.<br /><br />Gosling said his partner had been in hospital in “terrible pain” when a doctor told him there was nothing more that could be done.<br />Gosling said he asked the doctor to leave them alone and then, “I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead”.<br /><br />A spokeswoman for the Nottinghamshire police said the force had not been aware of the issue until the broadcaster made his revelation on television on Monday night. “We are now liaising with the BBC and will investigate the matter,” she said.<br /><br />In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme on Tuesday morning, the broadcaster said he was not worried by the prospect of a police investigation. “I don’t worry,” he said. “I did what I did from my heart.” Seventy-year-old said the incident happened in “the early period of Aids” and he had come to an agreement with his partner, who he described as “my bit on the side”, that Gosling would end his life if the pain became too much.<br /><br />“That’s what I did and if there’s a heaven he would look down and be proud of me,” he said. Gosling said he had chosen now to reveal his actions because he was filming a documentary on dying and had met other people facing a similar dilemma. He insisted he was “not making a case”. When asked whether the law on mercy killing should change, he told the ‘Today’ programme: “I don’t know.”<br /><br />Gosling explained: “Everyone else had revealed themselves to me and I felt I had to reveal myself to them and say I was once there.” He added: “If it happens to a lover or friend of yours, a husband, a wife, and I hope it does not, but when it does sometimes you have to do brave things and you have to say — to use Nottingham language — bugger the law.” Gosling did not give any information on who the man was, or when or where the incident occurred.<br /><br />A BBC spokeswoman said Ray was made fully aware of the potential consequences of him making the confession. As part of our journalistic integrity we felt we needed to keep that revelation in the report.<br /><br />She said producers had neither tried to “dissuade or persuade” Gosling from revealing the euthanasia, and that the BBC would co-operate fully with any probe. She said the programme was filmed towards the end of 2009.</p>
