A MUM who was arrested for murder after helping her son take his own life has welcomed historic proposals to change the law around assisted dying. 

Heather Pratten, from Rayleigh, helped her son, Nigel, die in 2000 as he battled the life-limiting Huntington disease.

At the time, she was arrested for murder before being charged by police with aiding and abetting suicide. 

Now, she has welcomed ground-breaking proposals to change the law and give terminally ill people “choice at the end of life” before they are introduced in Parliament later this month. 

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is hoping for “honest, compassionate and respectful debate” when her Bill, which will be tabled on October 16, is considered in the Commons.

The bill was introduced by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen.The bill was introduced by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen. (Image: PA) Mr Pratten has described the UK as “lagging behind other countries” on the topic of assisted dying and is hoping the bill will eventually be passed, despite admitting it would not have affected her son as he would not have met the criteria. 

“I’m happy that this bill is purely for people who are right at the end of their life. I think we need to start off with a Bill like this before going any further,” said Ms Pratten.

The mum has spent years campaigning alongside charity Dignity with Dying, which is helping spearhead the campaign. 

Ms Pratten said: “People have worked really hard on this for years. At Dignity with Dying, we’ve worked with people from all backgrounds and religions and nothing has stopped them from wishing that suffering didn’t have to happen at the end of life”

“In the modern age, I don’t think we should be lagging so far behind other countries.”

Ms Pratten helped Nigel take his own life when the former artist was suffering with the disease and made his choice to die after losing the ability to draw.

Ms Leadbeater’s Bill is guaranteed time for debate in the Commons after she topped the Private Member’s Bill, which gives her priority on a Friday sitting.

It will be the first time the topic has been debated in the House of Commons since 2015, when an assisted dying Bill was defeated.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: “This is a historic opportunity to bring about real change for dying people, one that commands vast public support and one that MPs must grip urgently.