Greece - Liam Hogan, 6, killed in murder-suicide attempt, 15 Aug 2006 *Insanity*

[Paladin]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/18/greece.plunge/index.html


CNN) -- A British man is facing a murder charge after his son, 6, died and his daughter, 2, was injured when the trio plunged from a hotel balcony in Greece.
John Hogan is under police guard in hospital following the death of his son Liam, who suffered fatal injuries in the incident at a holiday resort in southern Crete.

Hogan was pictured on the front page of British newspapers Friday in a hospital bed after reportedly telling doctors: "I want to die too."

The businessman's two-year-old daughter, Mia, suffered a broken arm and has been released from University General Hospital in Heraklion.

Hogan, 32, suffered a broken arm, leg and chest injuries and underwent surgery at the hospital Thursday.

After the operation he was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit, where a spokesman said his condition was improving.

"The patient is getting better and he will be transferred to the orthopedics ward today," he told the UK's Press Association.

"He had a fracture to the femur and the tibia and he has been operated on for these fractures. He is now breathing with a face mask and is awake and fully aware," the hospital spokesman said.



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As much as I'd like to agree with this hotel director (see bolded part), I thought that was pretty unprofessional of him to say that, don't you think?

 

[Annie]

Why, oh, why do not these crazy people do what they are going to do and leave their children alone? If he didn't want to live, that is one thing, but the children didn't choose that.

 

[kato]

I wonder if he had heard of that guy in FL who did this a few months ago and that gave him the idea.

 

[Paladin]

Why, oh, why do not these crazy people do what they are going to do and leave their children alone? If he didn't want to live, that is one thing, but the children didn't choose that.

One reason: To hurt the wife.

 

[KrisNine]

I wonder if he had heard of that guy in FL who did this a few months ago and that gave him the idea.

I was thinking the same thing. Very sad.

 

[cathieq]

From article:
Panayotis Spatharakis, director of the Heraklion Hospital, told the Daily Mirror: "We asked him why he did it and he told us he was very drunk and could not exactly remember what happened.
"I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide."

I do not believe in the killing of the innocent but I must agree with the hospital director. This man took an innocent life and harmed another - he should die. Some acts can never be forgiven. This is one of them.

 

[Sabal]

18 August 2006
I WANT TO DIE

Torment of dad who flung himself from balcony holding his two kids
By Greig Box, Richard Smith And Martin Fricker In Greece

TORMENTED John Hogan is carried out on a stretcher yesterday - as the full horror of his balcony leap that killed six-year-old son Liam finally begins to dawn.
​

As he was transferred from one hospital to another on the island of Crete he whispered: "What have I done? What have I done?"
​

But Hogan, who plummeted 50ft while cradling Liam and two-year-old daughter Mia following a row with wife Natasha, won little sympathy from angry locals who surrounded his stretcher to scream abuse.
​

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The death of Liam has sparked disbelief and revulsion among the family-loving islanders.

Such was the fury of the mob yesterday that hospital bosses had to organise armed guards to protect Hogan, who broke his arms and legs in the fall.
​

Hogan, 32, from Bradley Stoke, Bristol, has told Greek police that he remembers nothing of the leap because he was "steaming drunk" after mixing booze with anti-depressants.
​

Panayotis Spatharakis, chief of the Heraklion General Hospital that treated both Hogan and Mia, who miraculously escaped with a broken arm, said: "We asked him why he did it and he told us he was very drunk and could not exactly remember what happened."
​

But Mr Spatharakis summed up the bitterness felt by locals when he added: "I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide."
​

Yesterday it was revealed that when Hogan regained consciousness after the fall and learned he had killed Liam he yelled: "I want to die, I want to die here."
​

Hogan, boss of a tiling firm, went berserk on Tuesday at a beachfront hotel in the resort of Ierapetra after wife Natasha, 34, announced she planned to divorce him when they got home from holiday.
​

Witnesses say they heard the couple having a blazing row just after midnight.
​

One holidaymaker heard a frantic Hogan scream at Natasha: "I'll take them with me before you do..."
​

Minutes later he grabbed the children and jumped from the balcony of the fourth-floor apartment. Liam died from massive multiple injuries. Natasha, an A&E nurse, spent yesterday at Mia's bedside. She is said to be inconsolable.
​

Mia's injuries were slight because the bodies of her brother and dad are thought to have cushioned her fall. She may be well enough to leave hospital today.
​

A hospital spokesman added: "Mia was in one sense very fortunate.
​

"She landed softly and suffered only very minor injuries." Natasha is said to be planning to return to Britain with her daughter as quickly as possible.
​

Hogan's mum Josephine, 64, spent yesterday with her son after he had six hours of surgery to his broken arms, legs and chest injuries.
​

She was described as "distraught and shocked". Hogan, who was last night in another hospital in the capital Heraklion, remains under armed guard. He is charged with murder and attempted murder.
​

Yesterday other British holidaymakers in Ierapetra told of their shock at the tragedy.
​

One man said: "A few people heard shouting but nobody could have ever imagined it would end in this." It's just unbelievable. Our hearts go out to the family."
​

Hogan, whose brother is thought to have committed suicide, had a violent row with Natasha back home in Bradley Stoke weeks before the holiday.
​

Neighbours were woken at 2am when he threw objects from an upstairs bedroom window at Natasha and yelled abuse.
​

One neighbour said: "About three weeks ago I heard the most dreadful argument - a really noisy row.
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"Natasha was outside and John was at the upstairs window throwing things at her.
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"I thought maybe they had been drinking or perhaps she had been having an affair or something.
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"It was ferocious and must have woken up the entire street. He had locked the door and was refusing to let her in.
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"He was shouting every obscenity at her and she was crying and sobbing.
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"She was pleading with him to let her into the house and trying to get in at the front door but he kept refusing.
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"John looked very angry and aggressive. I don't know what happened afterwards and it all died down by about 3am." Mums of Liam's classmates at Wheatfield Primary School sobbed yesterday as they heard the news of his death.
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One said: "We're all feeling total shock and are in mourning.
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"How on earth are we going to explain this to our children?
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"All our kids are shocked but they don't really understand the unbearable tragedy of what's happened so were having to be extremely gentle with them. Our thoughts are with poor Natasha."
​

Deborah Hilliam, the school's vice-chairman, said a special assembly in memory of Liam would be arranged when the pupils return from summer holiday.
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She said: "This is a very tragic time and when school starts we'll have to explain things to the children."
​

A spokesman at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, where Natasha is a deputy sister, said: "This is a dreadful tragedy.
​

"Natasha is a popular and highly professional member of the nursing team."
​

 

[julianne]

Wow...kind of shocking that the Chief of the hospital would publicly say that he thinks the guy should kill himself. I don't disagree--just surprising that a hospital official would choose to be less than politically correct in such a public forum. Just shows how furious everyone is at the Dad.

I feel sooo horrible for the mom...she is "inconsolable." I can only imagine. Prayers to her & Mia. I wish the Dad died instead of the little boy, Liam.

 

[Sabal]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17588848%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=wife%2dof%2dbalcony%2dleap%2dman%2dspeaks%2dout-name_page.html

 

[curious1]

Wow...kind of shocking that the Chief of the hospital would publicly say that he thinks the guy should kill himself. I don't disagree--just surprising that a hospital official would choose to be less than politically correct in such a public forum. Just shows how furious everyone is at the Dad.

I feel sooo horrible for the mom...she is "inconsolable." I can only imagine. Prayers to her & Mia. I wish the Dad died instead of the little boy, Liam.

I agree with that. I don't think every country in the world buys into all this PC crap. It was refreshing to hear such honesty in his words.

Not to make light of this, but ladies....if while on vacation you decide to leave your husband wait to tell him after you are home and you are not staying in a hotel where you are more than 2 stories up. And I mean that in all seriousness.

 

[OkieGranny]

From July 2013:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/balcony-jump-father-john-hogans-2104506

A mum whose daughter was pushed off a balcony in Crete by her “crazed” dad has spoken for the first time about her child’s “miracle” recovery in Australia...

The deranged dad was later acquitted of Liam's murder by a Greek court in 2008 on the grounds of temporary insanity...

"I hear nothing of John Hogan, nor do I wish to."