A nurse dubbed the Deacon of Death has been jailed for 27 years over the 'mercy killings' of five patients- including his own mother.

Ivo Poppe, 61, was found guilty of the murders of his 90-year-old mother, his 80-year-old father-in-law, two great-uncles aged 79 and 81 and another patient aged 79.

Poppe told a court that he was "very sorry" for what he had done.

He said his victims had not asked for help dying but said his only motivation was to make their deaths less painful.

The Roman Catholic deacon and nurse was sentenced by a court in Bruges in the western Belgian province of West Flanders.

Public prosecutors had demanded life in prison but the judge accepted that there were mitigating factors such as Poppe's bad health, difficult youth, previously clean record and small risk of re-offending.

He was acquitted of a sixth murder charge.

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