Balcony fall inquest apology call

Liam Hogan died and his sister was badly injured in the fall

A coroner has said he expects an apology over a statement given by a mother's family over the death of a boy who fell from a Greek hotel balcony.

The inquest into the death of Liam Hogan, six, has resumed after a brief adjournment earlier today.

John Hogan, 33, from Bradley Stoke, near Bristol, was cleared of murder after leaping from the balcony in Crete with his two children, in 2006.

Liam died from head injuries. Daughter Mia, then aged two, was injured.

Mia broke several limbs in the fall.

I turned around and there was no-one there. I just heard screaming 'Oh my God' down below Natasha Visser, Liam's mother

At the beginning of the inquest held at Kings Weston House, Bristol, Avon Coroner Paul Forrest expressed concern over comments made on behalf of Liam's mother, now going by her married name of Natasha Visser, on Tuesday.

"It tries to influence the conduct and verdict in these proceedings," said Mr Forrest.

"At the very least I would expect an apology from those responsible for issuing this release."

He added he would not take any action against the family.

Giving evidence, Liam's mother told how Hogan had threatened to "burn their house" to the ground on the day of the tragedy.

House threat

"Liam was at the holiday club, Mia was in the pool - he (Hogan) said he could not be around us and went off to jet ski.

Liam Hogan's mother, Natasha Visser, said she heard screaming

"He came back and said he would look after the children.

"Then I don't know what time he returned to the room - but he was very agitated. He came back shouting at me, saying we cannot break up."

Mrs Visser went on to explain the moments before Liam's death.

She had returned to her room and was organising suitcases when Hogan came in "extremely upset", she said.

She told the court he swore at her and asked her what she was doing.

"He stared at me with a crazed look, which I did not know.

"Suddenly he had his back turned. He was charging round the room."

'Gone over'

"Then I turned around and there was no-one there. I just heard screaming 'Oh my God' down below.

"I knew at that point he had gone over."

The inquest has also heard from Sarah Davidson, who said she saw a man "push" two children from a balcony as she was leaving the hotel.

Mrs Davidson said she heard a "horrific" argument from a room above her.

"I looked up straight away. That's when I saw two children stood on the balcony on the edge."

She continued that she could not hear what the argument was about but she saw a man come forward and push the children off the balcony.

"I couldn't comprehend why he pushed them or didn't try and reach out for them. I just couldn't believe it," she said.

Mrs Davidson's husband, Iain, was then described how he heard the argument.

He said: "We looked up to where the noise was coming from. We could see on a balcony above us.

"There were two little kids on a small wall. Almost in the same instance as an adult appeared, the children went over.

"There was lots of commotion on the floor at this point."

Contrary to what his wife had just told the inquest, Mr Davidson said the man appeared to try to stop the children falling.

He went on: "There was screaming as the children fell. The adult appeared to try and grab them and the momentum appeared to take his body over the side."

John Hogan has been receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital near Athens since the court cleared him of murder.

The inquest continues.