Doctors have been given permission to withdraw life-sustaining artificial nutrition and hydration from a man who has been in a coma for nearly a decade.
The former carpenter, thought to be in his 60s, fell into a coma nine years ago after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group had asked for permission to stop providing the man with food and liquid.
Following a Court of Protection hearing, a judge concluded "withdrawal" would be in the man's best interests.
'Merely exists'
In a written ruling, Judge Mr Justice Baker did not identify the man but said he was unmarried, had no children and was thought to have lived alone.
He said the man had "no awareness", "no prospect of recovery" and "merely exists", and "all parties" had agreed his life was "futile".
The Court of Protection, which deals with society's most vulnerable people, heard from the man's cousin.
"(He) would hate to know he was being looked after 24 hours a day," the cousin said.
"I know that (he) would not wish to be alive in this condition."
- Published29 November 2011
- Published15 April 2011
