Greek doctors face fresh trial over holiday death

3:22pm Wednesday 23rd January 2008

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THREE Greek doctors convicted and later acquitted of the manslaughter by neglect of Chester-le-Street man Christopher Rochester almost eight years ago will face a fresh trial next month.

Sergios Pavlidis, George Karavolias and Michael Sokorelos, all medics at the Andreas Papandreou Hospital on the island of Rhodes, were originally given three years in jail in 2003 but the sentence was suspended pending an appeal.

"This is closure one way or another. If we re-convict the doctors there is no other court they can go to, if they walk free there is nothing more we can do,''

George Cummings

Two years later they were acquitted but the Greek Supreme Court in Athens ruled unanimously, following a campaign by Mr Rochester's family, that the appeal was badly flawed and biased and ordered a new trial.

Mr Rochester, 24, fell 40ft from a hotel balcony in June 2000 while visiting his brother and died of internal bleeding after lying on a hospital trolley for three hours.

The new trial will start on Tuesday February 5 in Rhodes but with magistrates and prosecutors from the mainland - the family claimed legal personnel at the appeal were against them.

Mr Rochester's parents, Pam and George Cummings, have hired a lawyer and a QC to fight the case and are confident of securing fresh convictions.

Independent DNA tests will be done soon in France or Belgium on a kidney that was sent to the family after Mr Rochester's body was returned to Britain missing one kidney.

The family believe the tests will confirm that the organ was not their son's, which could lead to charges against the medics involved.

Mr Cummings said the trial date had come "out of the blue'' as it been had expected later in the year.

"This is closure one way or another. If we re-convict the doctors there is no other court they can go to, if they walk free there is nothing more we can do,'' he said.

The family have raised £6,000 towards legal costs but need £3,000 more to ensure their legal representation at the trial.

A fund-raising evening of clairvoyance at the Barracuda pub, Front, Chester-le-Street, is on Thursday January 31 at 6.45pm for 7pm. Tickets are £4 on the door.

People can also donate to the Christopher Rochester fund at the Front Street, Chester-le-Street, branch of Lloyds TSB or call Mr Cummings on 07707 877 005.