An American clergyman who sat with a woman as she killed herself in Dublin, Ireland says he was responding to the "laws of God."

The Reverend George Exoo, from the U.S. state of West Virginia, admitted last week that he and his live-in male companion sat beside 49-year old Rosemary Toole when she swallowed pills, covered her head with a plastic bag and inhaled helium.

In a televised interview, Reverend Exoo said Ms. Toole, who was said to have been suffering from severe depression, paid him and his companion 25-hundred dollars, including airfare and accommodations, for their two-day visit.

Mr. Exoo said was he was there to guide Ms. Toole spiritually in her final moments. The clergyman runs a non-profit group that counsels people seeking to commit suicide.

Assisting suicide is a crime in the Irish Republic and anyone convicted of aiding a suicide faces up to 14-years in prison. It is not clear if Mr. Exoo will be charged in the case.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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