Trial of accused Turkey terrorist bomber adjourned
The mother of a County Durham girl killed by a terrorist blast in Turkey four years ago said she is devastated after the trial of the suspected bomber was adjourned for three months.
Sharon Holden flew to Turkey to face the man accused of killing her 21-year-old daughter, in a courtroom in Izmir, but the case was put off until October.
Helyn Bennett, 21, from Spennymoor, was one of five people killed on July 16, 2005, when a bomb exploded on a tourist bus in the seaside resort of Kusadasi.
Helyn’s fiance, Stephen Stables, 23, her brother Adam, 16, cousin Sam Punshon, 14, aunt Toni Punshon and Ms Punshon’s partner Michael Aspinall, from Sherburn, Durham, were all injured in the blast.
Her parents, Sharon and Tom Holden were spared because they decided to take a boat trip to Greece instead of joining the rest of the party.
Tara Whelan, 17, from Waterford in Ireland, was also killed when the bomber allegedly detonated explosives hidden under the seat of the bus by calling a mobile phone strapped to the bag.
The accused, known by the initials MSF, appeared in court in Izmir, where the case was adjourned until October 9. He was remanded in custody. MSF was arrested in April 2006 on suspicion of murder, and is accused of belonging to the PKK organisation, also known as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, and conspiracy to commit further terrorist acts on the Turkish mainland.
Helyn’s mother, Sharon Holden, 44, said seeing the man accused of killing her daughter across a courtroom had helped her move on from the tragedy.
``It has set my mind at rest," she said. ``I needed to put a face to this monster, and now I have seen his face. I was absolutely devastated, but I know I need to pull myself together and face the next hurdle."
It was the first time that Mrs Holden, of South Street in Spennymoor, had returned to Turkey since the bombing, and she said the visit had brought the pain of their ill-fated holiday back.
