A devastated son has been left with a hefty legal bill, despite being acquitted of assisted suicide charges in relation to the death of his elderly father.
Brisbane man Peter Nixon was charged with attempted murder following the death of his father John, 88, in 2015.
He had driven his ailing father to hospital to get an X-ray of his broken pelvis after the nursing home where his father had lived for five years refused to call an ambulance.
Mr Nixon briefly stopped at home on the way to get his father a sedative to help him sleep and ease the excruciating pain.
Peter Nixon (pictured) broke down in tears when sharing his story with A Current Affair, six months after being acquitted of assisted suicide charges in relation to the death of his elderly father
John Nixon, 88, (pictured) was driven to hospital by his son in April 2015 to get an X-ray for a broken pelvis. He died 12 days later
‘I put Coca Cola into an existing medicine bottle so Dad could swallow it but as far as knowing what it contained, all I believe was it contained a sedative,’ Mr Nixon told A Current Affair.
‘I can look you in the face and say my intent was never to kill my father.’
His father went into a coma at Prince Charles Hospital, where he died 12 days later.
Peter Nixon outside Brisbane Supreme Court last December after a jury found him not guilty
Mr Nixon was ‘absolutely flabbergasted’ when he got a knock at the door from police not long after his father’s death.
The attempted murder charge was later dropped to assisted suicide.
Last December, a jury took less than three hours to find Peter Nixon not guilty of assisted suicide following a five day trial.
The thought of helping his father end his life still upsets Mr Nixon today.
‘Those five years (of his father in the nursing home) were saddest time in our relationship ever,’ he tearfully told A Current Affair.
‘But he never asked me to assist his suicide. He was vehemently against it.’
Mr Nixon’s court win has come at a hefty price.
He claims he’s still being punished after he was left with a $100,000 legal bill.
He asked the Queensland Government for an ex-gratia payment to cover costs, which was denied by Attorney-General.
Peter Nixon said his ex-firefighter father John (pictured) was ‘vehemently against’ against assisted suicide, despite being bedridden and in agonising pain
‘I’m being penalised monetarily, how can I go out there these days and earn $100,000?’ Mr Nixon said.
‘Mr Nixon has set up a crowdfunding page to help pay for legal costs.
He was inundated with messages of support within hours of his story being featured on Friday night’s episode of A Current Affair.
‘Terribly sorry for the loss of your dad and what followed. Seems so bloody unfair. I hope after this part is sorted out you get the time you deserve to grieve for your dad,’ one woman posted.
‘Empathy and compassion for the pain and suffering of our ailing elderly parents is something that I hope for without incrimination or persecution. All the best for being so brave,’ another added.