Edward Downes "serious health problems" suffered by the couple. A statement issued by the couple's children said that while Downes could have gone on living with his deafness and blindness, he did not want to do so after his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In March 2010, Keir Starmer (director of public prosecutions) stated that Caractacus Downes would not be prosecuted for his involvement with his parents' assisted suicide because it was not in the public interest. Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was
Geoff Downes such acts as Mike Oldfield, Thompson Twins and GTR. As a songwriter, he has written for Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA. He is also credited as a co-writer on "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe" album (made up of former members of Yes in 1989); he is credited due to Howe re-using some musical ideas from Asia. In recent years, Downes has teamed up with Wetton in a separate project under the name Icon. They have released three studio albums: "Icon" (2005), "Icon II: Rubicon" (2006), and "Icon 3" (2009) and live album from their 2005 tour. In 2006, Downes reunited with the