Nova Scotia man sentenced to six years for manslaughter of ailing wife facing eviction
Douglas Smith, 75, received a six-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of his wife, Iris Dodd, whom he smothered in their Kingsport home days before they were to be evicted. Smith pleaded guilty in April, avoiding a second-degree murder trial.
A 75-year-old Nova Scotia man has been sentenced to six years in prison for the manslaughter of his wife, who was suffering from severe health issues and facing imminent eviction.
Douglas Smith killed 72-year-old Iris Dodd on April 30, 2022, by holding a pillow over her face inside their rented home in Kingsport, Nova Scotia. The couple had been married for approximately 33 years, since November 1, 1989, and were scheduled to be evicted the day after Dodd's death with nowhere else to go.
Dodd suffered from significant health problems, including a stroke in 2018 that left her dependent on a wheelchair. She also experienced vision loss, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and recent pneumonia, which led her to fear being placed in a long-term care facility.
According to court proceedings, Dodd initially planned to end her life by overdosing on medication and asked Smith to leave the house while she did so. Because her impaired vision made it difficult for her to see the pills, Smith promised to help arrange them. However, Smith ultimately decided to kill Dodd himself. He feared the overdose might fail and cause permanent brain damage, or that she would die alone and in fear.
The following day, on May 1, 2022, Smith turned himself in to the RCMP detachment in New Minas, located about 12 kilometres away. He told police that he "eased her distress."
Smith pleaded guilty to manslaughter in April, just days before he was scheduled to stand trial for second-degree murder at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Kentville.
Crown prosecutor Daniel Rideout characterized the act as intimate partner violence but noted that it was driven by compassion rather than coercion or anger.