Family of Catford student in 'filthy' Greek prison: 'Bring murder trial to UK'

Myles Litchmore Dunbar denies murdering fellow holiday-maker Tyrell Matthews-Burton in the Crete party resort of Malia last July.

The 19-year-old economics student at Northampton University says he was trying to break-up a brawl involving around 30 British punters.

The teenager is currently in a prison outside Athens, where he has experienced riots, "shared a cell with murderers and drug-dealers" and faces a wait of up to two years for the trial.

His family are desperate for the case to be tried in England as they have concerns about the Greek justice system with only Myles being held despite three bloodied knives being found and multiple suspects.

Myles’ dad Chris Dunbar, who lives off Edward Street, Deptford, told News Shopper: "When I have been there, it is very stark.

"It is very dirty and extremely hot in summer, with no form of air conditioning.

"Sometimes there is a strike.

"What we take for granted here, they don’t, I’m starting to grasp.

"We would never imagine a prison closing its doors because there is not enough staff.

"It is just crazy. Totally different to what we know in England.

"Sometimes he has low moments, we all do. We tend to get at each other because we are highly stressed.

"Not just because of the situation but because of the lack of support from institutions - that is the government and the police."

Model Myles, who has two brothers and two sisters, went to Forest Hill School for boys and had been living with his mum Carole Litchmore off Laleham Road, in Catford.

She has been in Greece campaigning for his release since the arrest and Mr Dunbar has been supporting her and paying Greek court charges where he claims bail applications alone cost 3,700 Euros.

The father-of-five said: "It isn’t like here, for every court appearance Myles has, we have to pay for it.

"For him, it is a rude awakening. He’s never even been in a police station, but he says, ‘now I am in a prison cell with drug dealers, with murderers.’ "He has to be careful. He’s had stuff stolen."

The 50-year-old, who procures services for adult social care, added: "Everybody was British, I think the British government has a vested interest in this.

"We know if the British police used their expertise they will find the perpetrators.

"They found three bloodied knives but only kept my son. It was a brawl up to 30 people fighting but they only kept one. Unless my son is extraordinary, which he isn’t, how would he use three knives?"

"He had so much going for him, his career, his studies, trying to pursue a modelling career."

He likened the case to Andrew Symeou, a 22-year-old man from Enfield who had a four-year nightmare in Greece after being accused of manslaughter at a nightclub he denied attending. He was cleared in 2011.

Earlier this month, Lewisham East MP Heidi Alexander raised Mr Dunbar's case in the House of Commons and urged the government to bring it back to the UK.

A Foreign and Commonwealth spokeswoman said: "We are continuing to provide consular assistance to him and his family.

"We cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country and must respect their systems."