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Fall death boy unlawfully killed | Fall death boy unlawfully killed |
(20 minutes later) | |
A six-year-old boy who died when he was pushed off a hotel balcony in Greece was unlawfully killed, an inquest in Bristol has ruled. | |
Liam Hogan died after falling 50ft (15m) from the Petra Mare Hotel, in Crete, with his father, John, and sister, Mia, then aged two, in 2006. | Liam Hogan died after falling 50ft (15m) from the Petra Mare Hotel, in Crete, with his father, John, and sister, Mia, then aged two, in 2006. |
Liam died of head injuries and Mia broke several bones in the fall. | Liam died of head injuries and Mia broke several bones in the fall. |
John Hogan, 33, from Bradley Stoke, near Bristol, was cleared of murder at a trial in Crete. | |
He was committed to a psychiatric unit for a minimum of three years. | |
Avon Coroner, Paul Forrest, recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. | |
The mere act committed was in itself unlawful on the basis of common sense Paul Forrest | |
He said: "The evidence in this inquest, unchallenged, clearly and beyond reasonable doubt demonstrated that the act of pushing the children off the balcony was one which no reasonable and sober person would have perpetrated. | |
"The facts were abundantly clear in that the children were seen to be pushed off the balcony, objectively an unlawful act," he said. | |
He added Mr Hogan had been acquitted in court on the basis that he had not known what he was doing was wrong. | |
The Greek court's verdict was based on evidence from two psychiatrists, he said. | |
"Such findings gave rise to a good defence to murder or manslaughter on the basis of insanity," he said. | |
The coroner said UK law states that inquest findings should be consistent with the findings of trials held only in the UK and not abroad, so the findings of the Greek trial would not affect his verdict. | |
John Hogan may now return from Greece | |
Liam's mother, Natasha Visser, has previously called on British authorities to "rectify a miscarriage of justice" after John Hogan was cleared of murder. | |
But a Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said there was "no reason to believe" Hogan would face any charges - whatever the outcome of the verdict. | |
Three witnesses at the inquest, who were not called to give evidence at the trial, described seeing the children fall. | Three witnesses at the inquest, who were not called to give evidence at the trial, described seeing the children fall. |
One witness, Sarah Davidson, told the inquest she heard a "horrific row" saw a man "push" a boy and his sister over the balcony in Greece. | One witness, Sarah Davidson, told the inquest she heard a "horrific row" saw a man "push" a boy and his sister over the balcony in Greece. |
But, her husband Iain said the man had tried to stop the pair falling. | But, her husband Iain said the man had tried to stop the pair falling. |