Luke Walker trial starts in Crete today (From Stourbridge News)

Luke Walker trial starts in Crete today

10:53am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News

THE trial of Brierley Hill man Luke Walker was due to start today – more than two years after he was arrested on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend in Crete.

Luke, aged 24, from Gayfield Avenue, is accused of killing his sweetheart of three years – Chelsea Hyndman from Yorkshire, who died of ruptured internal organs after being admitted to hospital with stomach pains back in May 2010.

Greek authorities allege Walker caused the 20-year-old’s condition by beating her but he maintains he is innocent and his supporters believe Chelsea’s injuries resulted from a fall on an earlier girls’ night out in the seaside resort of Malia.

Former Thorns Community College student Luke spent 150 days locked up in a Greek prison immediately after his arrest and although eventually released on bail he has been forced to remain in Greece since the tragedy.

After a wait of around two-and-a-half years his trial was finally due to get underway today (Tuesday) at the Mixed Criminal Court in Heraklion and it is scheduled to take around four weeks but Luke’s family and lawyer Georgios Pyromallis fear public sector strikes taking place across Greece this month will hold up proceedings.