Ozzy Osbourne song based on Latimer case

The story of a Saskatchewan farmer convicted of killing his disabled daughter has inspired a song by Ozzy Osbourne.

Osbourne said at a media event in Toronto earlier this month that Latimer's Mercy, which will appear on his upcoming Scream CD, is based on the Robert Latimer case.

Latimer is the Wilkie-area farmer serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of his disabled daughter, Tracy, in 1993. He told police the 12-year-old was in severe pain and he ended her life on compassionate grounds.

Court heard Latimer placed her in a family truck, connected the exhaust to the cab and let the motor run until she died.

The case was in the courts for years, with two trials and several appeals, and touched off a national debate about euthanasia and human rights.

Osbourne, whose new CD comes out June 22, told the press conference the tragic story made him think what he would do if he were Latimer.

"When you see a kid go through pain and agony ... I don't know whether I could do that to my kid, but I'm not in that position," the British entertainer said.

According to Canwest News, the song lyrics include the line: "The sun shines on this deadly new morning/The church bells ring an early warning/Your eyes shine as I turn on the motor/The tears fall as the mercy gets closer."

Osbourne said the death was "like mercy killing," but added he's not taking sides in his song.

"I'm not one of these guys [who says] 'It's wrong, you should do life' or 'You did the right thing,'" Osbourne said. "I kind of question myself ... how would I deal with that?"

Latimer is currently on day parole in B.C., and will be eligible to apply for full parole late this year.