N.S. senior killed ailing wife after promising to help her take her own life, court hears

WARNING: This story includes references to suicide and details a killing.

A 75-year-old man smothered his ailing wife in their Kingsport, N.S., home more than four years ago after she made him promise to help her take her own life, a court was told Tuesday.

Douglas Smith was sentenced in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Kentville, N.S., to six years in prison for the death of Iris Dodd, 72, on April 30, 2022. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in April days before he was set to stand trial for second-degree murder.

Smith and Dodd, who had serious health issues, had been married for 33 years but faced eviction and had nowhere to go, according to an agreed statement of facts.

Court documents illustrate a harrowing situation the couple, who had a "long, supportive and happy life together," found themselves in that night.

Dodd’s health had been deteriorating since she suffered a stroke in 2018 and they were going to be kicked out of their home the next day, the documents say.

She used a wheelchair, was losing her eyesight and lived with chronic pain from arthritis and fibromyalgia — a long-term condition that causes muscle pain, extreme fatigue and sleep difficulty.

She had just had a long stay in hospital due to bouts of pneumonia.

On the night she died, court documents say Dodd told her husband she didn’t want to spend her final years in a health-care or long-term care facility.

She told Smith she planned to take all of her medication at once in an attempt to overdose and Smith should leave the house so he wouldn't be culpable.

The only thing she needed from her husband was for him to arrange the pills because she couldn’t see them very well. 

Initially, the documents say, Smith didn’t support his wife’s plan when she raised the topic abruptly.

However, “The victim was very upset and made Mr. Smith promise to help her with her plan and he promised he would,” said the agreed statement of facts.

The couple agreed they’d go ahead with the plan the following day, which helped Dodd calm down and go to sleep.

Smith couldn’t sleep, though, worrying about his wife dying alone. He became increasingly concerned her plan might fail and leave her with permanent brain damage. 

“Mr. Smith resolved all these thoughts and fears in his head by getting up and holding a pillow over the victim’s face,” the agreed statement of facts said. 

‘She was in distress and I eased her distress’

The day after Smith killed Dodd, he drove to the local RCMP detachment to turn himself in. 

After discovering the office was closed, he called 911 from the parking lot and admitted to taking her life.

A recording of Smith's 911 call was released by the court. 

The call began with a dispatcher asking Smith what emergency he was reporting. The senior replied that he wanted to report a death.

WATCH | N.S. senior killed ailing wife after promising to help her take her own life, court hears:

Annapolis Valley senior sentenced to 6 years in prison

September 29|

Duration

2:25

Douglas Smith killed his wife, Iris Dodd, at their home four years ago. As the CBC's Josh Hoffman explains, the couple was facing eviction, Dodd's health was failing and she had asked her husband to help her end her life. This story includes references to suicide and details a killing.

The dispatcher asked if the death had been sudden or unexpected and Smith said that his wife had died and he was responsible. 

Smith said he didn’t want to provide any details but the dispatcher said she required some information before an officer could be sent to meet him.

“She was in distress and I eased her distress,” Smith replied. 

An officer came out of the detachment, arrested Smith and took him to a cell inside the building where Smith confirmed it was his voice on the 911 call, according to court documents.

Emotional day in court

Smith was emotional in court Tuesday, holding his head in his hands while the agreed statement of facts was read.

He wept when Crown prosecutor Daniel Rideout reached the part detailing how Smith had smothered his wife.

Smith was asked if he wanted a break but replied: "Let's get this over with."

• More stories from the Annapolis Valley

During submissions, Rideout noted the case differed from the spate of domestic homicides in Nova Scotia in recent years.

Smith was driven by compassion when he took his wife's life, but he still broke the law and had other options available, Rideout said.

If you or someone you know is struggling: 

• The Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line can be reached 24/7 first at 902-429-8167, or 1-888-429-8167, or by dialing 911.
• The National Suicide Hotline can be reached by call or text at 988. 
• Talk Suicide Canada can be reached at 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 (between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).
• Anyone in Nova Scotia who is seeking mental health services can self-refer through the Mental Health and Addictions Intake Service at 1-855-922-1122 from Monday to Friday (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings (until 8 p.m.), or online 24/7 through prebooking.nshealth.ca. For the IWK, intake hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday).

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