Sea tragedy boyfriend's 'guilt'

James Dudley said the court case did not change anything

A teenager whose girlfriend died in Cyprus when he crashed into her on a water bike which had been illegally hired to him has spoken of his loss.

James Dudley, of Colwyn Bay, Conwy, was 16 when the accident involving Hannah Sutton, also 16, happened in 2005.

Aristos Ioannou, 30, was convicted by a Cypriot court of allowing him to use the machine and fined just over £500.

"Nothing will ever change the guilt I've got from my responsibility for it," said James.

James and Hannah, both pupils at the Rydal Penrhos school in Colwyn Bay, had gone to Cyprus for a holiday after their GCSEs and were staying with her mother.

They went to hire the water bikes while out on the beach but were not told by the rental company that they had to be 18.

I wish I could take time back, but you can't and you've just got to find a way of moving on. James Dudley

Shortly after taking to the water Hannah was killed, when James lost control of his machine.

He was briefly jailed following the accident but released - and fined £2,000 - after he admitted his part in Hannah's death.

Aristos Ioannou was fined £523 at Limassol District Court on Tuesday although he could have faced a three-year jail term and a much larger fine.

Ioannou continues to run Chris Watersports on the resort's beach with his father, Christakis Ioannou, 46, who was cleared of the same offence.

Speaking after the case's conclusion, James said he believed both men should have taken responsibility for their actions.

Hannah Sutton died in hospital from her injuries

He said nothing would ever take away his feelings over the tragedy.

"I will always feel responsible," he said.

"But there are factors which lay outside my control, for example, the whole idea of being 18 to ride them. I was only 16 at the time. I wasn't aware of the rules.

"Maybe if I'd been made aware of the rules I certainly wouldn't have gone on them because Hannah's mum wouldn't have let us."

Hannah's family have said they did not hold James responsible but instead blamed those who had allowed the youngsters to hire the bikes.

Her father, Stephen Sutton, said: "He (James) understands that we attach no blame to him at all. He has to live with this.

"We feel the responsibility for the whole thing rests on the operators' shoulders, not James."

Mr Sutton added that the fine was a "missed opportunity".

Moving on

James took a year off school after Hannah's death to "try to get back on track".

He said the end of the two-year court case in did not change anything for him.

"Ultimately the amount of money, the fines and the sentences and the money are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. It doesn't change the events that happened that day.

He said not a day went by without thinking of Hannah.

"Every day I wake up, first thing in the morning I think about her, last thing at night I think about her and the events of that day.

"I wish I could take time back, but you can't and you've just got to find a way of moving on.

"Each day it doesn't get easier, but easier to find ways of moving on and easier to control your feelings."