BBC man’s TV killing confession sparks investigation

By Paul Carter

Police are to investigate a BBC TV presenter’s on-air claims that he killed a former partner who was living with AIDS.

Ray Gosling, speaking on the East Midland’s edition of the BBC’s regional current affairs programme Inside Out, told how he smothered the unknown man in his hospital bed after doctor’s told him that nothing else could be done to treat him.

He said: “I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back and I said: 'He's gone.' Nothing more was ever said. When you love someone, it is difficult to see them suffer."

 In a statement, Anti-assisted suicide campaign group, Care Not Killing, said that it would be a “tragedy” if the case “contributed to the widely held but false belief that it is necessary for some people to die with unrelieved pain.”

It said: “Some people steal because they or their families are starving. But no one is suggesting we should have a law that licensed theft in advance for starving people. The law wisely bans stealing and then, if and when it occurs, it looks at the circumstances and decides how best to handle it. That is exactly the situation we have with assisted suicide and euthanasia and that is exactly how the law deals with it.”

The organisation also said it was “bizarre and highly irresponsible” of the BBC not to report the matter to the police, despite the fact that the programme was recorded two months ago.

A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire Police said: "We are now liaising with the BBC and will investigate the matter."