Dr Philip Nitschke, dubbed in some media as “Dr Death”, says he’s “very keen” to bring Sarco’s assisted-suicide pod to the UK and reckons theLake District could be an ideal location to use it
Chances of using the Sarco suicide pod – branded the “Tesla of euthanasia” – in the UK have rocketed following the passing of the assisted dying bill, its creator says.
Dr Philip Nitschke, dubbed in some media as “Dr Death”, says he’s “very keen” to bring his invention to the UK despite an ongoing investigation into the death of a US woman in Switzerland who became the first “customer” in September.
Nevertheless, mark three of the futuristic Sarco (short for sarcophagus) is in production and lessons learnt from the death of the 64-year-old woman in Switzerland have helped improve the design, Dr Philip Nitschke insists.
He spoke in the wake of the passing of the assisted dying bill here, which could usher in one of the biggest societal changes since the legalisation of same-sex marriage a decade ago. Dr Nitschke, 77, believes this also means the Sarco could operate in the UK – and says the Lake District would be the ideal location in which to use the controvesial capsule.
The inventor, from Ardrossan, Australia, said: “I’m very pleased that it’s gone in favour. It’s a very good development. What has to happen now is hopefully a workable piece of legislation emerges.
“In terms of the actual legalities under the new law, if you decide to go and die in the Lake District, I suppose I don’t know what the law would say. I suppose it’s entirely up to you if you want to sit looking at the lake or whether you want to be in your own little bedsit in south London. The device is certainly portable. You can take it to where you can put it and climb in.”
But Dr Nitschke’s colleague and head of The Last Resort, Florian Willet, was arrested and taken into custody in the wake of Sarco’s debut two months ago. Willet remains in prison in Schaffhausen near the Swiss border with Germany, the Daily Mail understands.
Dr Nitschke, who lives in the Netherlands with his wife Fiona Stewart, told the publication “a much better version” of the capsule is in the works. Of the 380 applications he had already received from around the globe, 23 are from Britons. Among them is ex-RAF engineer Peter Scott and his wife Christine, both in their 80s, who signed up to be the first couple to use a double suicide pod after Christine was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
