The controversial ‘suicide pod’ had its first assisted death aborted at the last minute by its creator earlier this year.

Recently, married UK couple, Peter, 86, and Christine Scott, 80, revealed that they had signed up for the Sarco pod in the hopes of ‘dying in each other’s arms’ following Christine’s diagnosis of early onset vascular dementia.

The Sarco pod was created for the use of assisted suicide and it passed an independent legal review in Switzerland in 2021.

On 17 July, a US woman in her 50s, known as ‘Person X’, was scheduled to use the pod, which was designed by founder of Exit International, Dr Philip Nitschke.

However, it was called off by Dr Nitschke before being ‘permanently postponed’.

Prior to the scheduled date, Swiss prosecutors had warned Dr Nitschke that continuing with the plan was likely to end up with him in serious legal trouble, adding that there would be ‘serious consequences’.

Pro-euthanasia group Exit International did end up putting a stop to the plans – though it was not due to the legal warnings.

Dr Nitschke did suggest that the ‘media storm’ had an impact on Patient X’s frame of mind.

He further explained that Person X was suffering from ‘deteriorating mental health’, pointing to this as the reason why her assisted death was ultimately ‘aborted’.

He summarised: “Given her situation, it is clear that this is a person who should now be receiving mental health care, rather than any suicide assistance.”

As the proposed date of Patient X’s death neared, he said that she’d experienced ‘multiple episodes of significant cognitive lapses bordering on pre-psychosis.’

The Daily Mail also reported that Dr Nitschke will be involved in the assessment and pre-screening of candidates who put themselves forward for an assisted death in the Sarco pod.

He said: “Given the media scrutiny surrounding Person X, all future clients will need to be warned of the possibility that, despite our best efforts to keep their death private, any first use of Sarco will be the subject of intense media interest and reporting.”

The Sarco capsules are portable, which in theory, means they can be taken anywhere.

On 10 June, Dr Nitschke said in an online forum: “It can be in an idyllic outdoor setting or on the premises of an assisted-suicide organisation, for example.”

He also spoke of his intention to bring them to the UK.

The pod was made with 3D-printing technology by Exit International and takes approximately 10 minutes to end a person’s life.

According to Dr Nitschke, the Sarco pods fill with nitrogen after it’s activation via a button, blink or gesture, which causes the rapid reduction of oxygen levels, leaving the person inside the pod to lose consciousness and pass away.

This happens within the first 60 seconds to give the occupant a ‘peaceful, reliable, and drug-free’ death.

Warning: this article discusses suicide which some readers may find distressing. 

Married couple Peter, 86, and Christine Scott, 80 are the first British people to sign up to Switzerland’s ‘suicide pod’ – and Peter has opened up on the devastating events that led to their decision.

The couple, who have expressed their hope to ‘die in each other’s arms’, have been married for 46 years and share six grandchildren.

Peter, a former RAF engineer and Christine, a retired nurse, have made headlines after applying for an assisted death in the Sarco pod.

The pod was created for the use of assisted suicide and passed an independent legal review in Switzerland in 2021.

The capsules, which were made by Exit International with 3D-printing technology, take just 10 minutes to cause a death by filling the pod with nitrogen.

This then causes a rapid reduction in oxygen levels, leaving the person inside to lose consciousness before passing away.

Peter has explained the ‘horrific’ reasoning for their decision, with his wife recently being diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.

He told the Mail on Sunday: “We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.

“The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’ mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.”

He continued: “Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life.

“Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her.

“We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can’t do that here in the UK.”

Peter then added: “Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.

“I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life.

“Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all.”

Of her decision, Christine has made peace with spending her last days in Switzerland.

She said: “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river.

“I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot.

“I’d make a playlist including ‘Wild Cat Blues’ and ‘The Young Ones’ by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel.”

She continued: “It’s a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that’s crystallised our thinking.

“Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can’t stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I’d say: ‘This is it, Pete, I don’t want to go any further.’”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.

A woman who hopes to die alongside her husband in a controversial ‘double suicide pod’ has explained how she wishes to spend her final days.

Peter and Christine Scott, 86 and 80 respectively, hope to ‘die in each other’s arms’ in the Sarco death capsule, and have told their story to the Mail on Sunday.

Peter, a former RAF engineer, and Christine, a retired nurse, have been married for 46 years and have six grandchildren.

Their decision to sign up for the Sarco ‘suicide pods’ came as a result of Christine’s recent diagnosis of early-stage vascular dementia.

Christine has outlined how she would like to spend her last days in Switzerland, before dying with her husband.

She said: “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot.

“I’d make a playlist including ‘Wild Cat Blues’ and ‘The Young Ones’ by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel.”

She continued: “It’s a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that’s crystallised our thinking.

“Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can’t stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I’d say: ‘This is it, Pete, I don’t want to go any further’.”

Peter has also opened up about their decision to seek end of life treatment.

He said: “We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.

“The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’ mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.”

He continued: “Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life.

“Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her.

“We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can’t do that here in the UK.”

He added: “Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.

“I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life.

“Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all.”

Switzerland’s Sarco pods were created for the use of assisted suicide and in 2021, passed an independent legal review.

The portable capsules, which are made with 3D-printing technology by Exit International, take approximately 10 minutes to confirm a death.

The death is caused by the Sarco pods filling with nitrogen.

The nitrogen ultimately causes the rapid reduction of oxygen levels, leaving the person inside to lose consciousness before passing away.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.

Peter and Christine Scott, a married couple who are 86 and 80 respectively, are the first British people to sign up to an extremely controversial double ‘suicide pod’ in Switzerland – and there’s a heartbreaking reason why.

The pair hope to ‘die in each other’s arms’ in the Sarco death capsule, as per the Mail on Sunday.

The couple have been married for 46 years and share six grandchildren.

Peter, a former RAF engineer and Christine, a retired nurse, decided to embark upon the end-of-life journey following Christine’s recent diagnosis of early-stage vascular dementia.

Peter explained: “We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.

“The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’ mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.”

He continued: “Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life.

“Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her.

“We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can’t do that here in the UK.”

Peter added: “Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.

“I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life.

“Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all.”

The Sarco pods were created for the use of assisted suicide and in 2021, passed an independent legal review in Switzerland.

The portable capsules, which are made with 3D-printing technology by Exit International, would take approximately 10 minutes to end a life.

Death is caused by the Sarco pods filling with nitrogen.

This subsequently causes the rapid reduction of oxygen levels, leaving the person inside to lose consciousness before passing away.

Christine said of her decision, and her plan for her last days in Switzerland: “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot.

“I’d make a playlist including ‘Wild Cat Blues’ and ‘The Young Ones’ by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel.”

She continued: “It’s a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that’s crystallised our thinking.

“Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can’t stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I’d say: ‘This is it, Pete, I don’t want to go any further’.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.