The son of Scottish woman Jean Hanlon, who was murdered in Crete 17 years ago, has described the fact that her killer remains free pending an appeal as “infuriating” for the family. The body of the 53-year-old mother of three from Dumfries was discovered in 2009 in the sea off Heraklion. Initially considered an accident, police did not open a murder investigation until a year later.
Long campaign for justice
Ms Hanlon’s family launched a long-running campaign for justice. On Friday, her killer was finally convicted after 17 years. The man in his 50s, who cannot be named under Greek law, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, under the Greek legal system, he will not be imprisoned until his appeal has been exhausted. The court recognised the guilty man’s diminished responsibility due to his mental state.
Ms Hanlon’s son, Michael Porter, spoke to BBC Breakfast about the trial. He said it was “phenomenal and overwhelming and unbelievable” to finally see the man convicted. “To campaign and work so hard for 17 years, and then finally be vindicated – and to hear mum’s voice being heard across the courtroom by a room of strangers – was just the vindication we needed,” he added.
Details of the case
During the family’s campaign, which involved Michael and his brothers Robert and David, they hired a private investigator to uncover the truth. The court in Crete heard that Ms Hanlon had gone to a marina cafe with the man now convicted of her murder. She had sent text messages to friends saying she did not want to stay there with him. Michael Porter said it is now clear the original investigation was not carried out properly.
The family are “extremely grateful” for the conviction, but frustrated that their mother’s killer is still free. Michael said: “Then to see him walk out of the courtroom free was just – it’s unimaginable. It’s so infuriating. You’ve just convicted a murderer and you’ve allowed him to go back on the streets. Obviously, through diminished responsibility, because of his mental health state. But he made choices to not tell our mum about his illness, to not take his medication, knowing that the repercussions of that were going to be extremely dangerous and were dangerous.”
Impact on the family
Michael said he respects the Greek system, but the killer’s freedom still felt like “a massive blow to the stomach”. The family have been left in “limbo” until the appeal process is complete. The case has drawn attention to the Greek legal system's handling of appeals and the emotional toll on victims' families.
