A woman who killed her terminally ill father has been spared an immediate prison sentence, with the judge saying he had “taken a merciful course”.

Dr Lisa Davenport, 55, smothered Barrie Davenport, 88, with a pillow at his home in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in October 2022.

Oxford crown court heard Mr Davenport had been suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer and was in a great deal of pain during his final few hours of life. Dr Davenport had previously pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.

Handing her a two-year suspended prison sentence, Judge Linden said he recognised Davenport’s “sole motivation was to bring your father’s suffering to an end” and that she had “acted because his death was close”.

The sentencing comes as assisted dying legislation moves through parliament. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill is designed to allow individuals with a terminal illness and six months or less to live to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life, subject to safeguards and protections.

John Price KC, prosecuting, said that staff at Davenport’s retirement complex and a doctor did not suspect foul play because his death was expected to be imminent.

Price said: “When the doctor certified his death at 10pm on 17 October it was believed to be due to natural causes. But that was not so. Mr Davenport had been in fact unlawfully killed by his daughter: this defendant, Lisa Davenport.

“At about 7pm she had smothered her father with a pillow as he lay in his bed.”

Price said Davenport had confessed an hour later to a neighbour and friend of her father about what she had done and asked her not to say anything.

The following morning, Davenport also confessed to the manager of the retirement complex, who then reported it to the police.

Price said: “Were it not for those confessions subsequently saying he had been unlawfully killed, it would have not been discovered. The evidence suggests that following his terminal diagnosis this defendant was a devoted carer of her father as his health declined.

“It is accurate to say that no one could have done more for a clearly dying parent than she did.”

The court heard that Davenport was in a great deal of discomfort and there were difficulties in getting his pain management under control.

Price said: “This defendant was distressed by how her father appeared. She asked for him to receive more pain relief. This background might explain why a devoted daughter did what she did to her father that evening.

“The prosecution has always accepted that had there been a trial, it would have been the prosecution’s case that the motivation was clearly done in a ‘belief by the offender that it was an act of mercy’.

“This phrase is accurately describing her motivation for doing what she did.”

Angela Pountney, to whom Davenport initially confessed, told police: “Lisa said: ‘I smothered him.’ I was shocked and could not say anything, and said: ‘Please don’t tell me.’ She said: ‘I smothered him.’ She said: ‘You must not tell anybody and the family must not know because I will be sent to prison.’”

Passing sentence, Linden said: “I recognise I have taken a merciful course. I have done so because of the mitigating features of your case, which in my judgment are exceptional.”