BBC PRESENTER RELEASED ON BAIL

The veteran gay BBC presenter who was arrested on suspicion of murder after admitting that he killed his lover in a mercy killing has been released on bail.

Ray Gosling (71), made the revelation that he smothered his former lover, who was dying and in great pain, with a pillow on BBC’s Inside Out programme on Monday. He said that he had a pact with the man to end his suffering.

“I killed someone once. He was a young chap, he’d been my lover and he got AIDS,” said Gosling while describing the incident in the programme.

“In a hospital one hot afternoon, the doctor said, ‘There’s nothing we can do’, and he was in terrible, terrible pain. I said to the doctor, ‘Leave me just for a bit’ and he went away.

“I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back and I said, ‘He’s gone’. Nothing more was ever said.”

Gosling, who said that he did not regret his actions, has refused to publicly reveal any further details about the incident, including his lover’s identity. It is unclear what he said to police while being interrogated.

He could face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty of assisting suicide or a longer term if convicted of murder.