A woman has smothered her sick friend to death - even though he wanted to live.

An eerie phone recording has revealed everything.

David Paterson, 81, was dying of cancer as he was smothered to death in the bedroom of his care home on 11 February this year. This week, friend and fellow churchgoer Heather Davidson, 54, was jailed for life for his murder.

While the issue of euthanasia is far from cut and dry, David was very clear about one thing: he was deeply opposed to euthanasia and he wanted to stay alive. His friend, Heather, thought very differently – and she revealed her thoughts in a phone conversation only minutes before killing her friend.

Heather Davidson, from Sowerby in the United Kingdom pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Patterson after police uncovered a series of telephone calls made to the Macmillan Cancer Support centre – mere hours before Mr Patterson’s death.

In the emotional phone calls, Heather Davidson explained that she was with a man she had known for a long time.

She said that he could no longer eat or drink or recognise those around him, and he had a poor quality of life.

She then proceeded to ask if smothering her dying 81-year-old friend would make her a murderer.

She wept as she confessed: “I think it would be better if I could just put a pillow over his face.” She added: “Would I be a murderer if I did that?”

The call handler replied: “In the eyes of the law, yes, you would, yeah.”

She continued, “If he was a dog he would have been put down months ago. I want him to be with his wife, I want him to be with all those lovely people that have died.”

The hotline staff warned police of Ms Davidson’s intentions, but the phone line could not be traced before Mr Patterson’s was killed.

Listen to the call in full below. (Post continues after video…)

Suspicions were raised immediately after Davidson alerted staff at his home that Mr Paterson had died, as there was blood on the man’s pillow. A post-mortem examination confirmed he had been smothered.

In court, Heather Davidson claimed that the murder was a mercy killing. But the prosecution said that David Paterson had very strong views about euthanasia.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp, told the hearing: “As a devout Christian, he had strong ethical objections to euthanasia. He had said it will be God’s decision and only God’s when it was his time to meet his maker.”

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton added, “You [Ms Davidson] were only were saving him a few hours of suffering. In so doing, you deprived him of what he wanted most, a natural death. This private man did not in death have a private ending.”

In a bizarre twist, the court uncovered that Davidson has a previous conviction for trying to smother her neighbour’s dog. In the haunting attack, Ms Davidson taped a plastic bag over the animals head before hiding it in a bedding box.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said that Mr Paterson had been “generally comfortable” in his last days and had been prescribed morphine.

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Susan Potts: Euthanasia interview sparks debate.

The right to die with dignity say euthanasia campaigners.

Animal Euthenasia: I murder, but for love.