Cyprus case: "Christmas is not the same without Dad" (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Cyprus case: "Christmas is not the same without Dad"

9:00am Wednesday 25th November 2009

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CHRISTMAS is usually a time for families to get together.

But Jazmin Harrington, 19, is dreading the festive season.

Her father Julian was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in February 2007 after his car collided with moped on the first night of a family holiday in Cyprus in August 2006.

Moped rider Christos Papiris, 17, died, in what Julian has always maintained was a tragic accident.

Jazmin, from the Witham area, said: "It's our fourth Christmas without Dad. To be honest, I absolutely hate Christmas at the moment. I hate the shopping, the adverts and the music because it's not Christmas without Dad."

Julian's sentence has been cut to seven years, which he is serving in Britain after being transferred from Cyprus.

Jazmin, who works for an insurance firm, said: "We recently had a family day of eight hours with him playing games and we had lunch. It was a really chilled out day and we had photos taken. It was probably the best day in the last three-and-a-half years I have had with my dad.

"It was a bit of normality - just me, mum and my dad."

Jazmin was just 16 when the accident happened. Her father has missed key milestones in her life, such as her 18th birthday, passing her driving test and leaving college.

"My dad's really happy all of the time. If he's happy, we have all got to be happy. He keeps us going to be honest.

"He always tries to put on a brave face. I'm just so proud of him to be honest."

Julian is due to be released in 2014, but his daughter said it still "feels like forever."

He admitted culpable manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, after taking legal advice, to free his nephews Luke Atkinson and Michael Binnington - who still face jail because their acquittals were overturned.

He has described the young men's situation as a "total miscarriage of justice"

Jazmin, a former Colchester Institute student, said: "The thing that upsets all of us is Dad pleading guilty for the boys to be acquitted of the case, then a year later the appeal going ahead.

"My dad's sitting there with 15 years and he's pleaded guilty to get the boys off the case. Now they are pulling them back."

She added: "They were in the back of a car. I can't see how you can charge someone with manslaughter and give them three years for that.

"What can you do? I just honestly feel noone's wanted to help us from day one. It's just sad noone wants to help us."

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