Electrician accused of murder ‘was loving and caring’

Luke Walker, 25, of Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, denies killing 20-year-old Chelsea Hyndman nearly three years ago.

Miss Hyndman, of Castleford, West Yorkshire, died after she was taken to hospital with abdominal pains in May 2010. She died on May 17 from acute peritonitis, Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court, in Crete, heard as Walker’s trial got under way. Greek prosecutors claim Miss Hyndman was beaten by Walker, who is charged with one count of murder, but he claims she fell during a night out.

Louise Purdy, 27, told the court she regularly socialised with Walker, along with a group of others. “In our time I never saw a violent or aggressive person,” she said. “Alcohol obviously does change you but I think with him, and the same with Chelsea, they became even more happy and life and soul of the party.”

Miss Purdy met Miss Hyndman and Walker in 2009 when they were all working in the resort town of Malia, the couple were living and working as bar staff. As she was getting to know Walker, an electrician, he was a “very fun person, very loving, quite caring”.

Miss Purdy told the court she celebrated her birthday with Miss Hyndman and friends on a girls’ night out on May 6, 2010.

They had been drinking in bars and were all involved in playing a game where one of the group would shout a word and they all had to drop to the floor, with the last person having a forfeit.

It was during this game as they walked to a bar that Miss Hyndman, 20, had a fall. The group helped Miss Hyndman to her feet and she told them she was okay, so they continued with their night and went to another bar.

In the days following her accident Miss Hyndman seemed to become ill, she told the court. She was unable to eat a great deal the following night, and a few days after that Miss Purdy said she saw Miss Hyndman in a bar and her eyes looked “discoloured”, and the whites “yellowy”. Miss Purdy said she put her illness down to being the effects of their lifestyle at the time, or possibly sunstroke.

Miss Hyndman became even more unwell and around a week after her fall, Miss Purdy went to visit her as she lay in bed and questioned her about what was wrong with her stomach.

“She pulled her T-shirt up and her stomach was very taut, very bloated, she looked pregnant.”

Miss Purdy said she thought Miss Hyndman’s condition was serious and wanted to take her to hospital, but Miss Hyndman said just needed some rest.

It was the last time Miss Purdy saw her alive, she told the court.

Walker had kept her updated on Miss Hyndman’s condition, she said. “I don’t think he would have ever done anything to hurt her.”

The case continues.