“IT’S been a devastating 12 months” Brierley Hill father Patrick Walker told the News today - exactly a year since his son was accused of murder on the holiday island of Crete.

Luke Walker from Gayfield Avenue had been looking forward to a carefree summer season in the sun in the tourist resort of Malia with girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman when tragedy struck.

The 23-year-old barman was flung in jail accused of beating to death his 20-year-old sweetheart from Yorkshire who died from ruptured internal organs after being admitted to a Greek hospital with abdominal pains.

Walker has maintained his innocence from the start, claiming Chelsea’s injuries were caused by a fall on a girls’ night out.

And after spending 150 days locked in a Greek jail - he was finally released on bail and the original murder charge was reduced to death by actual bodily harm.

But Luke has been ordered to remain in Crete to await trial - a ruling that has heaped a huge financial and physical strain on his family who have had to remortgage their home to pay for legal fees and the costs of travelling to and from the holiday island for the past year.

Mum Lindy, a Dudley Council care worker, has been facing the threat of redundancy and dad Patrick suffered a major heart attack in January as he struggled to keep his business Walker Electrics going between visits to Luke.

Patrick, aged 54, who has been ordered by medics not to fly, told the News: “It’s been a devastating 12 months.”

Speaking on Tuesday (May 17), the first anniversary of Chelsea’s death, Mr Walker said this week was a particularly “sad” time for the family.

He said Luke’s mum Lindy had flown out to Crete to be with him and he said he hoped to take some flowers to Chelsea’s grave in Yorkshire.

He said: “Luke had a bad week, it really hit him but his mum’s over there and some friends have returned to Malia for the summer. He’s also working in a bar owned by his landlord who’s been really good to us.

“I haven’t been able to fly out since January but I speak to Luke every day. He’s desperate to come home.”

A year since their lives changed forever, a trial date has yet to be set and the Walkers say they are still trying to get their hands on vital medical results and photographs which they believe will add weight to Luke’s defence case.

Mr Walker said: “It’s going to be a hard battle as they’re adamant he’s guilty. We’ve got to get all the medical evidence. “Chelsea had a CT scan on May 16 and we need that along with tissue samples, slides and photos and lab results.

“Our solicitor is going to try and talk directly to the court and pathologist in Greece.”

He said communication difficulties between Greek and English pathologists have been holding up the process - a problem affecting not just the Walkers but other UK families whose relatives have died in unexplained circumstances in Greece.