Drink claim over tourist's death

Christopher Rochester died in hospital

A Greek doctor said a British tourist who died after falling from a balcony was so drunk at the time he would not cooperate with treatment.

Dr Sergios Paulidis is one of five medical staff charged over the death of Christopher Rochester, 24, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

Three doctors and two nurses from Rhodes Hospital, are charged with manslaughter by negligence and are on trial at Rhodes town court.

Mr Rochester fell from his hotel balcony in June 2000.

The case centres on claims Dr Sergios Paulidis, an intern at the hospital, failed to call out a senior doctor after examining Mr Rochester and only transferred him to an orthopaedic ward, where he later died.

But Dr Paulidis, who was on duty in the accident and emergency ward, told the court Christopher was so drunk he refused to cooperate with any treatment.

Dr Paulidis, a qualified doctor in Russia who was still training in Greek medical practices when the incident occurred, told the court: "He was under the influence of alcohol and I did not get a clear picture of what had happened.

"I was told he had fallen down stairs.

The apartments where Christopher Rochester fell

"Christopher's behaviour was that of a very drunken man.

"I don't think I could have done more in the casualty unit and having transferred him to orthopaedic I was under the impression he would be treated."

The trial finally got under way on Wednesday after two previous delays.

It has been claimed that it took 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive and that Mr Rochester was then "bounced about" on a stretcher and left lying on a hospital trolley despite being in severe pain.

Earlier, Mr Rochester's mother Pam Cummings addressed the court through a translator.

She said: "My fight is not with the island of Rhodes or the Greek people, but with those five people charged with the death of my son through negligence.

"I am here today to see justice carried out. My son suffered an untimely death, an unnatural death, but most of all he suffered an unnecessary death. "How could these people let this happen, have they no regard for human life?"

An inquest in Britain recorded a verdict of accidental death contributed to by neglect.

When Mr Rochester's body was returned home it was discovered that one of his kidneys had been taken out and his death.

When Mrs Cummings protested, the Greek authorities sent a kidney from Rhodes, but DNA tests showed it was not Christopher's.