'˜I wish I'd taken Chelsea to the hospital sooner'

Luke Walker was found to have assaulted Castleford woman Chelsea Hyndman and caused abdominal injuries which led to the death of the 20-year-old in 2010.

Walker gave evidence at the second day of Ms Hyndman’s inquest at Wakefield Coroner’s Court yesterday. It heard Chelsea had been feeling unwell in the days before being taken to hospital - but Walker said she had refused to go.

Walker, who still denies assaulting Chelsea and told the inquest he still loves her, said: “I would have taken her to hospital sooner, I should have made her go. I should have stood my ground and taken her.”

Chelsea was admitted to hospital on May 16 with severe stomach pains and jaundice. She had suffered damage to her pancreas which caused multiple organ failure and died the next day. Walker was found guilty of GBH with negligence for which he was given a three-year suspended sentence by a Greek court.

Evidence from medical experts heard on day one of the inquest suggested a drunken fall Chelsea had outside a bar 11 days before death could have been sufficient to cause the damage to her pancreas.

Statements from her friends suggest jaundice had begun setting in - symptomatic of the damage to her pancreas - around the time Walker had allegedly assaulted her.

The inquest continues.