Black Country Man Found Guilty
29 May 2013, 21:41 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
A 25-year-old from Brierley Hill has been found guilty of GBH leading to the death of his girlfriend on the holiday island of Crete three years ago.
Luke Walker from Brierley Hill was convicted of killing Chelsea Hyndman, who died on May 17, 2010, at Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court.
He had been charged with and subsequently denied her murder but judges at his trial on the night of Wednesday the 29th of May accepted a motion from the public prosecutor to downgrade the murder charge after it was argued he did not intend to kill Miss Hyndman.
Walker was handed an eight-year suspended sentence and that he could return to England if he paid a 10,000 euro (£8,552) bail surety. But he will have to return to the Greek island at a later date for a retrial at an appeals court.
His parents, friends and other family members were in court for the brief trial.
Earlier in the day an emotional Walker had vowed to the court that he was innocent, saying his "whole life fell apart" as Miss Hyndman was rushed to hospital the day before she died.
Asked what he thought was the reason for her death Walker, gripping the edge of the witness box as he gave his testimony, said: "All I know is that I stand here trying to tell you what I know.
"I know I'm innocent. I'm here to clear my name."
The court was told that Miss Hyndman died as a result of acute peritonitis, inflammation of the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen.
