A WOMAN has told how her husband died in her arms after he decided to end his life.
Patrick Norfolk, who suffered from motor neurone disease (MND), travelled to Switzerland for an assisted suicide after previous attempts to take his own life failed.
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Tragic story: Anne Norfolk at home in Swanland.
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Family: Anne and Patrick Norfolk
He died in the arms of his loving wife Anne, just 16 months after their daughter committed suicide.
Anne said British law robbed her husband of his wish to die in the garden, his pride and joy for 31 years.
"All Patrick wanted was to die in his garden that he cherished so much," she said.
"Instead, he was forced to travel to a foreign place with no meaning to him. He had always said to me he wanted to die in 'Blighty'."
After suffering such heartache, Anne is now backing calls for Britain to introduce powers allowing people with terminal illnesses to be able to take their own lives.
Patrick, 65, was diagnosed with the degenerative muscle-wasting condition in October 2008 and was told he would have two years before the disease stripped him of his ability to feed, bathe and look after himself.
After he tried and failed to commit suicide at the family home in Swanland last December, Anne and her family lived in fear of finding Patrick dead.
Anne said: "When I had to leave the house to go shopping, I never knew if I would come back to find him dead or alive. I was terrified every time I left Patrick alone.
"He was determined to take his own life and the feeling of not being able to help is something I can't describe. It was heartbreaking.
"He felt as if he was making me and his family suffer more than he was himself.
"After his suicide attempt failed he was so upset and cross with himself he had not achieved it but, at the same time, he didn't want to do it because of the police investigation he knew would involve the family."
Patrick's death on June 28 came just months after the body of their daughter, Vicky Norfolk, was found on the banks of the River Humber.
Vicky jumped from the Humber Bridge in February last year after suffering from depression.
However, the loss of their youngest daughter did not affect his decision.
Anne said: "Patrick's decision was not in any way influenced by Vicky's tragic death. His suffering had gone on for four years and he had got progressively worse over that time.
"He desperately wanted to die at home and wasn't prepared to suffer the indignity he felt he would have had as he continued to get worse. We lived for all that time with a cloud over us.
"Patrick was looking at how he could kill himself and it meant we couldn't fully enjoy the rest of his life together.
"If we could have put plans in place for the future, the time we had left together could have been so much more fulfilling."
Patrick took the decision to register with Dignitas, an assisted-dying company, in February and flew out to Switzerland in June.
He was accompanied by Anne and their daughters Colette and Bridget.
"Patrick was so relieved when he was given the green light by Dignitas in May," Anne said.
"The pressure he had put on himself to take his own life was lifted and it was only really then it came home to me just how much stress this was causing him.
"If he wanted to see the rest of his life through in a care home, we all would have been there for him, but that was the last thing he wanted.
"We all wanted him to be relieved of his physical and mental torture and his relief when he knew he could use Dignitas was clear to us all. It was a huge pressure lifted."
The subject of assisted suicide has sparked national debate recently with church leaders labelling the action immoral but now Anne is hoping her husband's story will highlight the struggles families go through.
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