6 September 2010 Last updated at 10:00 ET

UK pathologist says Crete fall a 'possible' death cause

British pathologist Allen Anscome says a woman, who Greek police suspect was murdered on holiday, may have died as a result of an earlier fall with friends during a night out.

A British pathologist is investigating whether a woman, who Greek police suspect was murdered on holiday, died as a result of an earlier fall.

Chelsea Hyndman, 21, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, died in Crete in May.

Her boyfriend Luke Walker, 22, of Brierley Hill, West Midlands, is accused of beating her to death.

A Greek pathologist said she ruptured her pancreas after multiple blows, but an expert employed by Mr Walker's family said a fall may have killed her.

Out drinking

British post-mortem tests said she had only suffered one injury, which Mr Walker's solicitor said was caused when she fell over in the street 11 days before she died on 17 May.

Allen Anscombe, the former head of the British Association of Forensic Medicine, said the fall could be "a potential cause of significant intra-abdominal trauma".

The couple had moved to the Cretan resort of Malia in search of work.

A friend of theirs, Laura Gilchrist, was out drinking with them when Miss Hyndman fell over.

"As she tripped over my foot she's staggered, picked up the pace and fallen, flat down," Miss Gilchrist said.

"Her hand was on the glass like this and her other hand was still bunched up underneath her hip and she fell flat down and she had nothing to stop her falling down."

Mr Walker has been charged with murder.

He has been remanded in prison and is awaiting a trial date.

'No contact'

Mr Walker was denied bail last week but his family has moved to Malia to visit him.

Miss Hyndman's family told the BBC in a statement: "We said right from the beginning it would be wrong to condemn or support him, we just don't have the facts.

"We don't have any contact with the Greek police - so we don't know anything at all.

"If the authorities have the evidence then they have the evidence and if they don't, they don't.

"We just need to let the relevant authorities get on with their jobs."