Lawmaker Calls on British Authorities to Investigate Killing of London Teenager in Greece

A British parliamentarian has called on the country's authorities to investigate the killing of a London teenager in Crete, after another man was acquitted of his murder in a Greek court.

Tyrell Matthews-Burton was stabbed to death during a brawl while celebrating his 19th birthday at the holiday resort of Malia on the Greek island. Myles Litchmore-Dunbar, also 19, was cleared of murder on Monday.

In a statement to VICE News, Stella Creasy, member of parliament for the London constituency of Walthamstow, said that a campaign to bring Matthews-Burton's killers to justice must now begin.

"Today we are no closer to finding out who killed him or securing justice for his grieving family," she said.

"Ever since his death his family have been pleading with the British police and authorities to help ensure an active investigation and fair trial but to no avail. Now with news that the trial in Greece has failed to identify a killer for this young British man, it is time for them to step up to the plate."

Creasy is now urging the British authorities to use the powers available to them to bring the investigation back to the UK.

"When a British citizen is killed, whether at home or abroad, we should not rest as a nation until we know justice has been done," she added.

Seventeen youths were arrested by Greek police and Litchmore-Dunbar was subsequently charged with murder after the stabbing on the holiday island in July 2013.

Litchmore-Dunbar — who has always maintained his innocence and has stated he was trying to stop the fight and had nothing to do with the killing — can now return home to London despite being found guilty of a lesser charge of affray.

Messages posted by some of Myles' supporters on the social media site Twitter include "Myles is coming home" and "Fantastic news about Myles Litchmore-Dunbar — wrongly accused of murder. Justice has prevailed and he's on his way home after 1yr imprisonment."

However, the outcome of the trial means the search to find out who killed Matthews-Burton will continue for his mother, Sharon Matthews.

Writing in the Guardian last month, Creasy accused Prime Minister David Cameron of hypocrisy for demanding the British police's involvement in the overseas investigation of the deaths of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in Thailand, but sitting "on the sidelines" in the case of Tyrell Matthews-Burton.

Creasy took Sharon Matthews to meet Cameron, but the prime minster did little more than confirm that procedure was being followed and that a family liaison officer from the Metropolitan Police in London had been appointed to the case.

A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said in a statement to VICE News: "We are aware of the verdict in the trial for the murder of Mr Matthews-Burton in Crete in July 2013. Our thoughts go out to the family at this difficult time.

"We realise the importance of justice for the family. We will continue to provide consular support to all involved - as we have done since the murder. It is for the judicial authorities in Crete to find out what happened and why."

Follow Ben Ferguson on Twitter: @FergusonBen