Ex-boyfriend denies murdering Brit mum after family's 17-year fight for justice

Ex-boyfriend denies murdering Brit mum after family's 17-year fight for justice Jean Hanlon's death was initially ruled an accident before fresh forensic examinations and a diary she kept prompted Greek authorities to reopen the investigation years later. A man has denied murdering a Scottish mum on a Greek island 17 years after her death. Jean Hanlon’s body was recovered from the sea off Heraklion, Crete, in 2009. Although her death was initially ruled accidental, her family spent years campaigning for the case to be reopened, demanding a second post-mortem and hiring a private investigator in a bid to uncover the truth. Their breakthrough came when entries in Jean’s personal diary came to light, leading prosecutors to suspect her 55-year-old former partner may have been responsible for her murder. The accused was questioned in January last year before being charged for the second time in November. The long-awaited trial began today at Lassithi Criminal Court in Crete. The suspect said: “I have done nothing. It is a sin to go to prison for the rest of my life without doing anything,” . As Greek newspaper OEMA reports, Jean’s Greek former partner cannot be named under the country’s laws, which grant anonymity to defendants until a conviction is confirmed. Jean’s three sons gave evidence as the trial opened, with one claiming their mum had been “bullied” by the accused after ending their relationship, despite what he described as a polite separation. The court also heard about Jean’s diary, in which the accused was named. A forensic pathologist, who became involved in the case following a review in 2019, told the court Jean’s death was likely caused by an incomplete tear of the brain stem, although she had not personally examined her body. The pathologist said the fatal injury had been caused by a forceful blow to the back of the neck with a blunt object and added her injuries were not consistent with a fall. Jean, a former hospital secretary, had been living in Kato Gouves, around 12 miles from Heraklion, for several years, where she worked in local bars and tavernas. She disappeared during a night out in March 2009 after telling friends she was meeting a man at a café. She later sent a text message saying simply: “Help.” Four days later, her body was found in the sea off Heraklion. The initial post-mortem concluded she had drowned. But a re-examination in 2019 suggested she was probably dead before entering the water and found she had suffered a broken neck and ribs, a punctured lung and facial injuries. Her family campaigned tirelessly for years in a bid to uncover the truth behind her death and successfully pushed Greek authorities to reopen the investigation four times. A fresh appeal on the Greek equivalent of Crimewatch in 2020 failed to uncover any new information. In 2021, specialist officers investigating organised crime also examined the case but found no new evidence, although they concluded there had been “foul play”. The investigation was officially reopened in June 2024 after private investigator Haris Veramon, who had been hired by Jean’s son, submitted a 24-page report to the authorities. The suspect was first charged in January last year, but the case later collapsed. Appeal judges in Heraklion overturned that decision in August and ruled he must stand trial for murder before he was recharged in November. Jean's son, Michael Porter, said: “When you see your mum the way you saw her, that never leaves your mind. To think of what she must have gone through that night, it haunts you for life, and it changes you in a way that you just can’t describe. “She was our mum, and the bottom line is you’d do anything for your mum or anybody you love. “We’re feeling extremely happy and positive that, finally, it looks like we’re going to get our mum the justice she deserves. It’s absolutely amazing, you can’t put it into words. It’s hard to get too excited when you get picked up so many times over the past 16 years and then knocked back.” The trial, being heard around 30 miles from Heraklion where Jean’s body was found, is expected to last up to four days.