Assisted dying: UK’s first Dignitas widow hails landmark vote

“They know they’re going to die anyway, and my husband suffered for four years before we went to Switzerland,” she said.

Mr Crew became aware of a procedure offered by the company Dignitas, an organisation which helps terminally ill people end their lives, after seeing a story on television about a woman planning to make the journey to the clinic.

Using a handsfree phone he found a way to contact the company to ask for dates he could visit.

“The moment he knew there was the opportunity to go he wanted to.

“My life was hell at the time, and when I was told about potentially going to prison I just said that would be a holiday camp compared to this.

“For months Reg couldn’t go to bed. He would sit in his chair and say he was breathing but not living.”

Mr Crew, who died aged 74, reportedly told nurses “I want to die today” before drinking water laced with barbiturates under the supervision of Dignitas.

Ms Crew added: “We never regretted what we did because that’s what Reg wanted to do.”