Holiday Brit drowned in sea escaping rock-throwing bouncer

Updated
Danny Kelly drowned in Zante trying to escape bouncer
Danny Kelly drowned in Zante trying to escape bouncer


Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer
Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer



A British holidaymaker was unlawfully killed after being chased into the sea by a bouncer, a coroner ruled today.

Danny Kelly, 23, was pelted with rocks by bouncer Nikola Miscevic as he swam for his life off a beach in Zante, Greece, the court heard.

The fabricator and keen rugby league player, from Haworth, West Yorkshire, drowned as he was forced further and further out to sea, Bradford Coroner's Court was told.

Tragic dad-of-two Danny drowned and his lifeless body was found the next day off Laganas Beach.

But due to what the grieving family's solicitor Ruth Bundy described as "incompetence" from the Greek authorities, Miscevic was able to leave the holiday resort and travel back to his homeland, Serbia.

Miss Bundy said there were "shortcomings" in the police probe after two separate investigations were launched by the Greeks.

The court heard Miscevic was convicted in Greece of attacking Danny's friend Martin Spencer, who used his phone to film the Serb's clash with Danny.

Drowned Brit was chased into sea by bouncer
Drowned Brit was chased into sea by bouncer





But Miscevic, 32, got his passport back before he could be hauled before the courts again to face charges over Danny's death.

The court heard Greek prosecutors failed to link the two cases, leading to the blunder in August last year.Martin told the coroner he saw Danny being chased and "running at full pelt" into the sea.

He said Miscevic hurled "fist-sized rocks" from the beach at Danny.

Martin told the court: "He was throwing them hard and throwing a lot – one after another after another.

Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer
Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer



"He was aggressive and screaming at him. I could tell by the force that he meant ill by it."

Martin said Danny screamed: "I haven't done anything," and tried to swim round a large boulder to dodge the rocks before desperately clinging to a buoy.

The court heard Martin was then attacked by Miscevic after he filmed the Serb on his mobile phone and told him: "I'm filming you."Martin was punched and Miscevic grabbed his phone, the court was told.

The Serb was convicted in Greece of robbing and assaulting Martin, the court heard.

Senior Coroner Martin Fleming today recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

Mr Fleming said:"Danny was directly chased into the sea and no attempt to rescue him was made.

"The only reason Danny entered the sea was to take refuge from his attacker."

He said claims by nightclub organisers that staff in fact tried to rescue Danny after he got in trouble while swimming were "implausible".

Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer
Drowned British holidaymaker chased into sea by bouncer



In his ruling, Mr Fleming found a direct link between the violent actions of Miscevic and the death of Danny.

Outside court, Danny's mum Colette Kelly, 42, vowed to fight for justice for her son and called on Greek authorities to seek the extradition of Miscevic from Serbia so he could face trial in Greece.

Danny's devastated family issued a statement in which they pledged to "fight until we have justice for Danny".

The statement said: "It was 13 months ago that we received the devastating news that Danny had passed away in Zante, and 12 months ago, to the day on Sunday, that we had the terrible task of having to lay Danny to rest.

"This year has been the hardest of our lives and has not been made any easier by the shambolic investigation carried out by the Greek authorities, and the fact that they treated one incident, Danny's death, and the assault on Martin Spencer as two separate incidents, and had witness statements relating to Danny's case in the wrong file.

"Now that this error has been pointed out to the public prosecutor in Patras, Greece, he has now re-opened Danny's case with an order that witnesses are to be re-interviewed, and the case to be reviewed."

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