I don't get this. he threw his son of a balcony so

[2shoeshissbangwhoosh]

why the review
please someone explain this to me

I can see the technical legal point (does "unlawfully killed" mean that the person who killed you had "criminal intent"?) but it does seem like a stonking waste of time and money.

because it was all done in the name of mental illness. as are so many things these days. And then people like him get away with it.

Personally I think they should have thrown away the key.

Why the fuck is he contesting that finding?? Does he think his little boy was 'lawfully killed' when he chucked those children off a balcony to spite his wife? If he was genuinely crazy, he would not be seekking a judicial review, and if he was genuinely remorseful he would accept that he did an unequivocally bad thing. that poor mother. THis makes me feel very angry.

Quite. What are the alternatives? Accidental death - hardly when someone threw them off the balcony knowing the likely outcome. Natural causes - obviously not. Murder - possibly, but if the doctors say he was not of sound mind, that won't hold. Manslaughter - possibly, but that doesn't differ hugely from unlawful killing, so the point of the review is???

It's a travesty - it won't bring back Liam whatever they find. I suspect it's the first step towards getting him released from the asylum in Greece, somehow.

The only alternative that there really is is a narrative verdict (which just describes what happened, without trying to classify it). But "unlawful killing" really does seem to cover it (and I think it's almost certain that that's what the appeal will decide).

I wouldn't have thought it would make any difference, I thought he had only a year to stay in the asylum? Surely a judicial review would take much longer to organise?

Sounds to me like it's his way of doggedly trying to deny that he did anything wrong. I remember when the verdict came in, he said he hoped he can build up his relationship with Mia again (the dd he tried but failed to kill). He obviously didn't have a clue.

I think he has done enough damage as it is. Instead of thinking about himself all the time, perhaps he could spare a thought for the mother of his children? This review will not help her at all, but only add to her pain.

iirc his family are leading the challenge - got the review so that he could return to UK without a charge against him. because (again, iirc) if he comes back with that charge he'd have to go to jail? (really not sure irc)

If I'd killed my child in such a horrible way, and tried to kill another, I'd be so guilty I'd willingly accept any punishment, I hope.

yes I think that's right. Well not that he would have to go to jail, but that he can then be arrested and tried again in this country.

Iirc his ex was pushing for that to happen so maybe it's so he can come back and then essentially get away with murder.

Is there a risk that he could make things worse for himself?
Presumably the review could decide he is more culpable than he is currently said to be?

This was the verdict of the Coroner's court which I don't think is legally binding as to guilt or innocence of a party but can be persuasive wrt the CPS taking action against someone named in proceedings iyswim. A coroner can't declare that Liam was murdered by x as that's out of his remit.

thanks wannaBe, think you've about summed it up

grrrrrr

whenever i see their family photograph (it looks like a holiday snap) of the four of them and the little boy is beside his dad i find it unbearable to look into his eyes. i don't know about any legal technicalities but he killed his son and tried to kill his daughter and i wonder how people feel justified in supporting him

Selfish, evil bastard. If he felt any remorse he wouldn't be doing this.

I was shocked when I saw this yesterday too it's like yeah okay what the hell is there to review?

Only thing they should be reviewing is his bloody rights to live outside of a bloody dark cold cell. Evil shit mental or not these parents who kill there kids should all be locked away on a feckin Island and left there...

Have his family no shame? imo, he's got off lightly so far ("earthquake of insanity"- more like an earthquake of spite).

It's also a pretty stupid ploy as a full trial could and should lead to a verdict of murder. Unless they think that with our current sentences for murder, he would actually serve less time than in a psychiatric unit.

God that article made me sick to the stomach. What a truly evil man - is it not enough he killed his son? I apologise now for this statement but I am angry enough to say it is a pity it wasn't him rather than his innocent son who died.

Mental illness? Hmmm, is that what they call it now. Still, a secure psychiatric unit is where he should remain forever. Just don't give him the freedom to live when he denied his son that right and gave his daughter the life sentence of knowing her father tried to kill her too.

totally agree with twoifbysea. this makes me so angry.

There was an article in The Guardian a week or two back about this man's childhood and upbringing which was quite illuminating. Not good at links but will try: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/25/john-hogan-hotel-balcony-crete

if he wasn;t evil, his conscionse wouldnt let him to anything else butaccept his fate.

Oops, that didn't seem to work, but if anyone is interested in actually finding out a few of the facts, they can google it anyway.

There was an article about this case in the guardian or observer a few weeks ago. I got the impression the journo felt this man was a highly manipulative individual who is on a campaign to both get released and to get access to the daughter he nearly killed. Also that the psychiatrist in Greece has been completely taken in by him and is coluding big time.

Luckily, his ex wife and surviving child have now moved to Australia, but if he is released I imagine she will always he looking over her shoulder. He is a dangerous man with no remorse.

Worth trawling through that guardian article, explains very well (especially toward the end of the piece, after we've had the sob story)the lengths him and his family are going to to protect im on his return to this country, which just seems so utterly distasteful, and also paints him, imo, as rather manipulative.