Luke Walker's family to fight inquest verdict over death of girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman
The family of a Black Country man convicted over his girlfriend's death in Crete are a step closer to taking High Court action to clear his name.
A coroner last month said he could not go against the ruling of a Greek court that Luke Walker had assaulted Chelsea Hyndman before she died – despite hearing evidence her death may have been connected to a drunken fall days earlier.
Now his solicitor has revealed that the family hopes to take the case to the High Court within the next three months.
Walker, from Brierley Hill, was given a three-year suspended sentence after being convicted of causing grievous bodily harm leading to the death of 20-year-old Chelsea, on the Greek island in 2010.
Her inquest heard from Prof Colin Johnson, a consultant surgeon and specialist on the pancreas, who said if she had her hand trapped in her belt when she fell, as was suggested by witnesses, it could have caused the injuries.
Walker, aged 29, and his relatives were hopeful coroner Jonathan Leach would give weight to his claims that Chelsea's death was caused by a fall.
But he refused to question the outcome of the trial and gave a narrative verdict.
Walker's family and legal team believed a ruling of accidental death in the UK could go some way to absolving him of blame.
They will now challenge the inquest verdict.
Solicitor Bill Bache told the Express & Star: "We are moving in that direction. We have got to get legal aid and that is what we are doing at the moment.
"It would be heard by the administrative court at the High Court. They have the power to review coroner decisions.
"We think the coroner was wrong not to consider the evidence and just imposing the court's decision.
"Further to that, we think from the evidence that was heard it is unreasonable for it to be anything other than accidental death."
An investigation was launched following Miss Hyndman's death in Crete, where the couple were living and working. Walker was kept on the island and sentenced to eight years in prison when a murder charge was downgraded to grievous bodily harm leading to her death.
The sentence was successfully appealed, meaning Walker would serve no further jail time.
Walker was alleged to have beaten his girlfriend, who was from Castleford, West Yorkshire, but has always denied assaulting her.
