The 25-year-old from Brierley Hill has now vowed to clear his name after being convicted of grievous bodily harm, leading to the death of 20-year-old Chelsea Hyndman.

His conviction was met with shock and disbelief by family and friends in the Black Country, including his 81-year-old grandmother.

Luke had denied murder but was found guilty by a jury in Crete of the lesser charge and given an eight-year jail sentence. He immediately appealed against both conviction and sentence last night, telling his lawyer he believed they were 'unfair'.

As a result the sentence has been suspended until the appeal is heard, which could be in a year's time.

Meanwhile, his family, already facing £300,000 legal bills in their bid to clear him, are having to raise another 10,000 euros (£8,552) bail surety within 10 days so he can return home.

Today his grandmother, Betty Walker, of Cradley Heath, pledged to find the bail money from her savings.

Luke's father, Patrick Walker, aged 57, told the Express & Star today: "Luke is very upset – he was hoping to be acquitted. It was a long and stressful day and we are devastated by the outcome.

"It was a very unfair trial – my personal thoughts are that it was done and dusted before we got there.

"They told us if it wasn't concluded in two days it would be adjourned for 10 days – they were rushing our lawyer all the time."

Mr Walker added: "With the circumstantial evidence that they were putting forward we were quite confident that we would get the result. When he gave out eight years I could have died; I thought how are we going to live, how are we going to cope with this?"

Mr Walker added that defence barrister George Pyromallis was much more confident in winning before an appeal court and getting 'Luke off'.

"Although it's still hanging over our heads at least he's not in prison, which is the main thing," said Mr Walker. He added: "My mother is putting the money up – it's her grandson and she wants to provide it because we haven't got it."

Luke looked shocked and tired as the verdict and sentence was read out just before 10.30pm Greek time – 8.30pm in the UK – at the end of his two-day trial. Chelsea's mother Heather Hyndman today said she felt the verdict was 'the correct one'.

"Yesterday's verdict was no cause for us to celebrate, another young life has been affected but we believe the decision was the correct one in light of the evidence we saw in court," she said.

Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court accepted a motion from the public prosecutor to downgrade the murder charge against Walker.

Luke Walker's father Patrick speaks after the verdict:

How events unfolded in three years since death:

May 7 2010: Chelsea Hyndman falls in the street, playing a drinking game in Malia with friends while out celebrating the birthday of her friend Louise Purdy.

Although she continues enjoying the night out, in the days that followed Chelsea becomes increasingly ill with stomach pains.

May 12 2010: A neighbour in the apartment block where Luke Walker lived with his girlfriend, Chelsea, claims to have heard a woman screaming as though she was being beaten.

The neighbour claimed to have often heard 'fierce' arguments between the couple.

May 16 2010: Luke calls an ambulance to take Chelsea to hospital suffering with acute abdominal pain.

Luke is arrested on suspicion of beating her after doctors tell police her internal organs are ruptured.

From the outset he claims he is innocent.

May 17 2010: Chelsea dies in intensive care at the Venizeleio Hospital in the Cretan capital, Heraklion, from acute peritonitis following an emergency operation.

May 20 2010: Luke appears in court in Crete charged with murder and is remanded in custody.

August 9 2010: An 11,000-name petition from family and friends is presented to Prime Minister David Cameron calling for Luke's release on bail.

October 20 2010: After 150 days behind bars, Luke is allowed bail.

But bail is on condition his family hand over up to £15,000 as a surety and he is ordered to remain in Crete pending his trial.

December 23 2010: A bid by Luke to lift the bail order to remain in Crete so he can go home to Brierley Hill for Christmas is rejected by prosecutors.

February 27 2011: Luke's father Patrick, then aged 55, suffers a major heart attack, with the family blaming the strain of the legal battle.

He is allowed home from Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital several days later but is not allowed to return to work for some weeks.

March 10 2011: Judges refuse another application for Luke to return to the Black Country to await his trial.

October 16 2012: Luke's murder trial starts in the Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court in Crete – but less than an hour later it is adjourned because key prosecution witnesses had not been summoned.

He is given bail – and, to his relief, he is allowed to return to Brierley Hill to await the resumption of the trial.

October 23 2012: Luke flies home to the UK – and into the arms of his family.

May 28 2013: The murder trial resumes in Heraklion, hearing evidence from a friend that Chelsea had fallen during a night out 10 days before her death, leading to her becoming ill.

May 29 2013: The court hears evidence from the neighbour who claimed to have heard the couple having arguments on previous occasions and screaming in their apartment block five days before Chelsea died.

There are dramatic scenes in court over statements produced by prosecutors, which the defence claims could have been forged.

May 29 2013: Luke is found guilty of grievous bodily harm leading to the death of Chelsea and given an eight year jail sentence.

He immediately appeals, the sentence is suspended until the appeal is heard –and his family is ordered to raise 10,000 euros (£8,552) as a bail surety within 10 days so he can return home.

We're in shock say family - See today's Express & Star