Family joy as murder suspect Luke Walker is to return home
Tears of joy mixed with frustration as a Black Country man accused of killing his girlfriend in Crete was granted bail to return home for the first time in more than two years.
While the family of Luke Walker were overjoyed at the court ruling, the decision was also bittersweet as they say they wanted the trial to go ahead so they could fight for his innocence. The 24-year-old, from Brierley Hill, was bailed to the UK yesterday after his murder trial at Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court in Crete was halted.
He is accused of beating his 20-year-old girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman to death in May 2010. He denies the charge.
Speaking from Crete, his 55-year-old father Patrick, who runs Walker's Electrics in Brierley Hill, told the Express & Star the entire family was overjoyed his son would be coming home.
But he said they had been ready to fight for his son's innocence and described prosecution failings at the hearing as "a bit of a shambles".
He said the decision to allow Luke to return to the UK was the 'only scenario we did not expect would happen'. "We were ready for the trial, with all our witnesses and lots of support," he said. "We were ready to fight for Luke's innocence and it was upsetting as in many ways we would have preferred the trial.
"We might be going back home for four to five months which is better than the nightmare of having to wait another week there for a trail which may not then have taken place. At least we can go back together and we don't have to leave Luke on his own again."
The trial was adjourned after key prosecution witnesses were not called.
The judge ruled he could return to his Brierley Hill home until a new date is set.
Patrick added: "We were ready and the Greek prosecution was not. It's been an expensive and long ordeal for us and really it was a bit of a shambles."
