Crash cousins coping in Cyprus

Two cousins serving prison sentences abroad are in a segregation block after spending more than a week in solitary confinement.

Luke Atkinson and Michael Binnington were extradited to Cyprus on December 1 and their solicitor, Karen Todner, said they were being held in solitary confinement for their own safety.

The cousins, both in their 20s, spent eight and a half days in solitary confinement and Averil Atkinson, Luke’s mother, said “they went on the Tuesday and we didn’t hear from them until the following Wednesday”.

Mr Atkinson, of Witham, and Mr Binnington, formerly of the Witham area, were back-seat passengers in a car which killed a Cypriot moped rider on the island in 2006.

They were originally acquitted of manslaughter, but the decision was overturned in January last year, after the Attorney General of Cyprus appealed.

The pair were sentenced in their absence in April 2008 to three years’ imprisonment for culpable manslaughter and one year for grievous bodily harm, to run concurrently.

They tried to fight extradition on the grounds they were not at the appeal and did not call witnesses or have witnesses called against them.

In the collision in Protaras, Christos Papiris, 17, was killed.

The car, which was driven by Mr Atkinson’s uncle, Julian Harrington.

He has always maintained the crash was an accident and he pleaded guilty, to the same charges, as he was advised it would help his nephew and Mr Binnington go free.

The families of both the cousins are set to pay a visit to Cyprus in the coming weeks.

“Luke has phoned twice but we get cut off,” Mrs Atkinson said.

“We didn’t really talk much. He’s allowed to call every six days or so but they cut him off when they feel like it. I think they are coping.”

Mrs Atkinson said “it feels like they have been there for ages” and she praised Mrs Todner for her hard work.

The day after the pair arrived in Cyprus the UK Government made a request for their return and the Cyprus Home Office is processing the paperwork.

“It felt like they had to be extradited to tick a box,” Mrs Atkinson explained, “But I think Karen is one of the best extradition lawyers around and she has worked really hard.”

braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk

31.12.2009