The diaries of a Scots mum found dead in a Greek harbour 17 years ago may hold the clue to who killed her.
The body of Jean, from Dumfries, was found in the water in Crete’s Heraklion on March 13, 2009, four days after she disappeared during a night out.
The Record told today how the trial of a man accused of murdering 53-year-old Jean was halted just three days before it was due to get underway in Crete.
The mum-of-three’s family had already travelled out to the holiday island in the hope that they would finally see justice.
One major piece of evidence which finally took the case to court was Jean’s diaries, discovered in her apartment by her sons after her death and described as the “backbone of the investigation”.
View 4 ImagesJean Hanlon
A private investigator hired by family members used details from the diary to identify a suspect before passing his findings to Greek prosecutors.
The family now await a new court date for when the trial can get underway.
Michael Porter, Jean’s youngest son, previously spoke of the diary find, while the investigator who studied it said the entires held the clues to the tragic case.
Michael told our sister paper, the Sunday Mail: “Mum died on the evening of March 9, 2009, and her last entry was on the morning of the day she died. Me and David found mum’s diary in her apartment, along with years of others. It was an emotional find as it was giving us an insight into our mum’s life.
“It felt wrong as it was her private space, so it felt like we were intruding or breaching her privacy, but it was all for the right reasons.
View 4 ImagesJean’s son, Michael (Image: Daily Record)
Jean moved to Crete in 2005, working in bars and restaurants in the coastal resort of Kato Gouves.
The mum’s death was initially reported as a drowning, but a second post mortem suggested she had injuries consistent with a struggle.
The examination found a catalogue of injuries including a broken neck, punctured lung and shattered rib.
Jean’s family have faced a series of setbacks in their battle for justice ever since.
The case was “archived” by local authorities in 2018 but in 2021, police confirmed a third probe into Jean’s case.
The case was passed to the Greek Department of Organised Crime, which concluded that a crime took place which led to Jean’s death.
A report from a private investigator Haris Fluskounis’s was then passed on to prosecuting authorities, which finally led to a major breakthrough.
View 4 ImagesHaris Fluskounis was called in by Jean’s family
The diary led Haris to befriend the suspect in the case, who was known to Jean, and securing vital information led to the prosecution.
A 54-year-old man who is originally from Crete is understood to have been charged in January last year.
However, in August the case was thrown into doubt over claims of insufficient evidence from Greek officials. But the family’s legal team confirmed appeal judges at Heraklion Judicial Council had ruled that the man would stand trial for Jean’s murder.
Haris Fluskounis, the private detective who interrogated the diaries, spent three months tracking down and interviewing people named in the entries.
He then handed a 29-page dossier to police.
The private detective said: “The diary was the backbone of the investigation because it revealed a timeline of a relationship.”
He added: “It doesn’t matter how many years a case has remained unsolved, evidence can always be uncovered.”
The accused was set to go on trial tomorrow at Lassithi Criminal Court, Neapoli.
But with just three days until the case was set to start, Michael learned that a postponement had been granted at a court hearing on Tuesday as his brothers David and Robert were preparing to board their flights.
The family understands the accused had just recently instructed a lawyer who required more time to prepare the case.
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The family are waiting to learn when the case can return to court.
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