Hotel jump dad 'must not be freed'

John Hogan, 33, has been receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital near Athens since a court on the island of Crete cleared him of murder, ruling he was suffering an "earthquake" of psychosis when he took Liam's life.

Doctors at the Hospital of Attica - where Hogan is being held - confirmed he could be ready to return to the UK in three to six months after they claimed he was "showing signs of recovery".

Hogan, originally from Bristol, told the court last month he felt "no guilt" after hurling Liam from the fourth floor of a hotel in Crete then jumping himself with two-year-old Mia.

After he was cleared of murder and referred to the psychiatric hospital indefinitely, his ex-wife, Natasha, 35, spoke of her hatred for him, claiming their son had "lost his life for nothing".

But reacting to news that he could return in the next few months, Mrs Hogan's step-father, Brian Chandler, said she did not disapprove of the transfer - provided he remained locked up.

Mr Chandler said: "The family would not have any problems with John being returned, at the appropriate time, to a secure psychiatric hospital in the UK, for ongoing treatment. That is entirely different to him being released as a free man in the near future, which we do not believe is a likely scenario."

Athanasios Kosmopoulos, managing director of the hospital, said Hogan could return to Britain in the "near future" after his mother, Josephine, and other family members requested his return home.

He said Hogan was showing "signs of recovery" and could be flying back within three to six months, pending the agreement of magistrates.

Liam died of head injuries but Hogan and daughter Mia, then two, survived with broken limbs following the plunge on August 15, 2006. Earlier this month the family were told Hogan was "highly unlikely" to face any further charges in Britain despite protests from his ex-wife.