The family of a British tourist who bled to death in a Greek hospital were told yesterday they must wait until next May to see five medical staff stand trial accused of killing their son.
Relatives of Christopher Rochester were in Rhodes yesterday ready for the trial of three doctors and two nurses charged with manslaughter by gross negligence. The case was due to begin that morning, but Rhodes Town Court decided to adjourn the hearing until May 14.
Mr Rochester, a bar and entertainments manager from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, fell 40ft from a balcony on the holiday resort of Faliraki two years ago, when he was visiting his brother Keith, who lived there.
An ambulance took 40 minutes to reach Rhodes hospital where Mr Rochester then bled to death from a fractured pelvis.
The case was delayed despite the best attempts of the family and North Durham MP Kevan Jones who travelled to Greece with them.
One of the accused doctors, Sergios Paulidis, had not been properly summoned as he was working on secondment in a Moscow hospital, and one of the nurses was absent, prompting magistrates to put off the case until next year.
Dr Michael Sokorelos and Dr George Karavolias and the other nurse, Pinagiotis Kalafatis, were in court and stood alongside Pam Cummings, mother of Mr Rochester.
None of the defendants have yet entered a plea to the manslaughter charge, an offence which carries up to five years in prison.
The family is remaining positive, despite the lengthy delay. Mrs Cummings said: "We feel that things are actually happening now, whereas over the last two years we seem to have had a continuous fight to get information to move forward with this case.
"Now we are here we feel things are moving in a positive direction."
It is the first time she has gone to the holiday resort where her son died.
She was accompanied by her husband and Christopher's step-father, George Cummings, her other son, Keith, and five close family and friends.
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