TWO cousins battling extradition said they were told not to worry about an appeal hearing, which would eventually lead to them being convicted of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.
Luke Atkinson and Michael Binnington were at City of Westminster Magistrates Court today to fight being sent to Cyprus to serve a three-year sentence over the death of a teenager nearly two years ago. A decision is expected on September 5.
Mr Atkinson, who was in court on his 24th birthday, and his 23-year-old cousin were in a car driven by their uncle Julian Harrington on the island on August 18, 2006 when it collided with a moped, killing rider Christos Papiris, 17.
Mr Harrington, 40 and from Witham, is serving a 15-year jail sentence after admitting manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm.
His nephews were remanded in custody for six months and eventually acquitted.
But they were found guilty of manslaughter and GBH after the prosecution appealed in January. There was no retrial and they were not present at the appeal.
Mr Binnington said his lawyer in Cyprus only made contact via text message and emails to his mother Maxine Harrington, had not given him any paperwork and led him to believe the appeal was just a procedural matter.
“He never actually said there was a risk of conviction, he said there was no chance. In any of the messages and text messages I saw he said we’ve got nothing to worry about, just carry on as you are,” said Mr Binnington
