Sister of man extradited to Greece smashes charity target (From Enfield Independent)

Sister of Enfield man Andrew Symeou extradited to Greece to face manslaughter charges smashes charity target

10:42am Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

The sister of a man extradited to Greece face manslaughter charges raised almost £4,500 for the legal charity which represented him.

Sophie Symeou, 26, of Gordon Hill, spent six days climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with her best friend Gabby Bord to raise money for charity Fair Trials International.

The charity supported her brother Andrew, who was extradited in 2009 in connection with the death of 18-year-old Jonathan Hiles who fell off a podium in a Zakynthos nightclub in 2007.

The Bournemouth University student was acquitted in a Greek court in June 2011 after the jury found him not guilty.

The girls, who returned on Sunday, October 21, smashed their £3,000 target, with donations reaching £4,415 to date.

They climbed to the highest point of the Tanzanian mountain - the Uhuru Peak, which is 5895m high.

She said: "Trekking Kilimanjaro was an unbelievable experience that we will never forget. It was not only physically strenuous at times, it was also mentally draining.

“When times felt tough I reminded myself of the reasons we were doing this, this was for Fair Trials International, this was for my brother.

"We had to dig deep and gain emotional strength, this guided us to the top of the mountain.”

She said seeing the sun rise over the summit was one of the most “breathtaking” things she has ever seen in her life.

The charity helps people who have been extradited to defend their right to a fair trial.

Ms Bord said: "I speak on behalf of both myself and Sophie when I say we had a truly amazing experience filled with ups and downs.

“I personally feel honoured to have been part of such a successful campaign, we are so grateful to everyone who so generously donated and supported us.”

To visit the girls’ fundraising page, click here.