Father accused of killing son tries to commit suicide

The father accused of murdering his six-year-old son after leaping with the boy and his sister from a hotel balcony has cut his wrists in a suicide attempt, his lawyer said yesterday.

John Hogan, 32, is accused of killing his son Liam in a 50ft plunge from the fourth floor during a family holiday in Crete.

Liam and his sister Mia, two, were allegedly being held by their father when he jumped from the building on 15 August.

Mr Hogan, a businessman from Bradley Stoke, Bristol, cut his wrists in Korydallos prison in Athens, two days after being charged with Liam's murder and the attempted murder of Mia, it was claimed yesterday.

His lawyer, Dimitris Xyritakis, said that he would be making a formal complaint as his client was supposed to be on a suicide watch in jail.

Mr Xyritakis said: "Mr Hogan is in prison in Korydallos, where he attempted suicide.

"He tried to cut his arms, and had the tool to do it.

"He is now in the hospital in the prison, but was not successful in his suicide."

The Crete lawyer said he was disappointed that Mr Hogan had had the opportunity to make an attempt on his own life. "I warned the prison that he would try this, but they didn't accept my warning ... The guards must protect any prisoner from such a thing," he said. "I will be asking the Minister of Justice to punish everybody who has let him down."

The lawyer said he been informed of the incident by a clerk at the prison and had not yet spoken to his client.

Mr Hogan sustained a broken arm, and leg and chest injuries after jumping from the balcony of the Petra Mare Hotel in the resort of Lerapetra. Liam suffered head injuries in the fall and died. Mia survived after breaking her arm. The family had been on a two-week holiday.

Mr Hogan and his wife had allegedly argued just moments before the fall.

The defendant's brothers, Stephen and Paul, had both killed themselves in recent years.

Mr Hogan was jeered by on-lookers when he attended court for the first time in Crete on Wednesday, where he was formally remanded in custody.

In court, Mr Hogan said that his wife Natasha's threat to leave him, combined with work-related stress and mental illness, caused him to take his drastic action. His statement read: "I was overwhelmed by confusion. I was unable to bear the thought that I would live without my children.

"The desire to self-destruct which exploded within me all of a sudden overwhelmed my instinct of self-preservation and my sense of respect for other human lives. As result I lost my ability to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong."

He added: "When I did it I was mentally disorientated. I was not conscious of what I was doing because I was emotionally distressed.

"I love my children very much and they were the only people that gave any meaning to my life."

Mr Hogan's trial is not expected to take place until next year. He was being held at Korydallos as it was the only prison in Greece suitable for "men with mental problems", Mr Xyritakis said. The lawyer said Mr Hogan would be examined by a psychiatrist in a bid to prove his mental condition meant he was not responsible for his actions.

Liam's funeral took place this week at the Holy Trinity Church in Bradley Stoke. An inquest into his death has been opened and adjourned.