Brit accused of killing his girlfriend in Crete says he is 'looking forward to clearing his name' as trial begins today

A Briton accused of killing his girlfriend on a Greek island said he was 'looking forward' to clearing his name when his long-delayed trial starts today.
Luke Walker, 25, is accused of killing his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman, 20, on the idyllic holiday island of Crete where the pair were working three years ago.
Greek prosecutors claim Ms Hyndman, who died after suffering severe injuries to her abdomen, was beaten by Walker, from Brierley Hill, West Midlands, in May 2010.
But Walker, who is charged with causing her death by actual bodily harm, has always maintained his innocence and claims she fell during a girls' night out in Malia and actually died 10 days later from septicaemia. 

Court case: Luke Walker, pictured left at his home in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, goes on trial today accused of causing the death of his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman, pictured right, through actual bodily harm

Carefree: Ms Hyndman and Walker were both living on the Greek island and working in bars before she died

After repeated delays, the trial was finally due to start today and lawyer Georgios Pyromallis said Walker was 'upbeat' and confident of clearing his name.
He said: 'I don't know how it will go, but I'm quite confident. We have a good case, and we have quite a strong defence argument.
'We will try to prove to the court that Luke never really touched Chelsea so it wasn't him who caused this injury to the pancreas.
'Luke is looking forward to it, believing that his name will be cleared, and he's really waiting for that.
'I can ascertain that he's feeling much better now because he was able to return to his country, to his family.

Luke Walker can be seen kissing his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman who he accused of killing in May 2010

Chelsea Hyndman, pictured left on the Greek holiday island Crete, died after suffering severe injuries to her abdomen. Luke Walker, pictured right, is accused of causing her death by actual bodily ham

'Nevertheless he's fully aware of the importance of the trial, of the possible consequences of that verdict. If Luke is convicted he may face life imprisonment.
'But he's confident that he will have a good result, because he knows that he didn't do anything wrong.'
Walker, from Brierley Hill, West Midlands, was jailed for five months following his arrest and then forced to remain in Greece on bail until October last year, when his trial was adjourned until today.

Family support: Luke Walker pictured with his parents Lindy and Patrick

Ms Hyndman's family have travelled to the island to witness the trial.
Her mother Heather Hyndman, 47, of Castleford, West Yorks., said: 'I’m more prepared and more ready than last time. I’ve been through it all before, so I know what to expect.
'I just hope it will be over and done with before the courts close down over there for the summer.'
Greek courts close on July 1, and while the trial is due to last around four days, it can be interrupted if the judge has to deal with other cases.
Ms Hyndman said: 'Hopefully they will have a bit of compassion and appreciate how
far we have all travelled, and hopefully I will get some answers.'
She and her partner Neil Lorriman will be represented in court by a Greek
solicitor, and they are arranging to have a translator to help them follow proceedings.
The trial comes at the same time as the third anniversary of Chelsea’s death.
Her mother said: 'We set off a lantern for her and spent time with family. It’s hard most days, but it’s even harder this day.'
Mr Pyromallis claimed Chelsea's mother believes Walker killed Ms Hyndman and is pursuing the case.
Mr Pyromallis said: 'Chelsea's mother is chasing the case. She has appointed a lawyer here and she's preparing to defend her case.
'According to her position so far it was Luke who caused the injury to Chelsea and it was Luke who actually killed her.

Luke Walker has always maintained his innocence - claiming Chelsea Hyndman sustained her injuries after falling over on a girls' night out

'She has been supporting the argument that "I have nothing else to do than believing what the Greek doctors said", but from the fact she has appointed a lawyer here in Greece, who will represent her, I believe that she's willing to fight for Luke's conviction.
'According to the findings of the Greek authorities Luke was the one who punched or kicked Chelsea in the belly area, and that this caused the pancreas injury which in the end led to Chelsea's death.
'The Greek coroner [Elpida Spanoudaki] said that this pancreatic injury was caused by an external power, which is either a punch or a kick.
'The medical findings could lead to the direction that Chelsea was injured ten days before her death after a fall she had in a party she had with her friends, or to an alleged kick or punch on her abdomen area.

Delayed: Walker's trial is due to start in Crete today - three years after his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman died

Party town: Walker lived in Crete for two-and-a-half years, working in a bar in Malia, pictured

'The most important thing will be what Chelsea's friends are about to testify.
'I know from their statements which they gave in Greece and the UK that all of them really can't believe that Luke ever really raised a hand against Chelsea.
'They all testify that if something like that happened, for sure Chelsea would have told them about it.'
Walker maintains he himself took Chelsea to get treatment several days after she said she was feeling unwell.
On his return to the UK, he said: 'I've never had closure from losing her. The last time I saw her was when she was taken to the operating room. She said she loved me and I said I loved her.'

Court case: Prosecutors claim that Luke Walker punched or kicked Chelsea Hyndman in her stomach causing her fatal injuries

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