A BRITISH tourist who hurled himself from a hotel balcony with his two young children, killing one of them, had been drinking and taking antidepressants, a police report said yesterday.

John Hogan, 32, had grabbed his children and fallen 50ft from the fourth-floor room in Crete after a row with his wife.

His son Liam, 6, died in hospital shortly after the fall on Tuesday. His daughter Mia, 2, is described as in good condition.

Mr Hogan’s wife, Natasha, 34, was at Mia’s bedside in Heraklion University Hospital and is believed to be making preparations to fly Liam’s body to Britain for burial.

The police report includes the results of blood tests carried out on John Hogan, 32, a businessman from Bristol. He remains under police guard in hospital in Heraklion. He is being treated for a broken leg and arm sustained in his fall.

Crete Today newspaper reported that an angry crowd of local people waited for Mr Hogan outside Ierapetra Hospital before he was carried out on a stretcher to an ambulance for transfer to another hospital.

Mr Hogan was taken to Agios Nikolaos Hospital under armed guard.

Police in Crete say that he has been charged with premeditated murder and is expected to be formally indicted next week.If found guilty he could face life imprisonment, which in Greece generally means a maximum of 25 years.

The police report on his condition — technically confidential but leaked yesterday — said that Mr Hogan had a history of depression and of anti-depressant use. By his own admission, he had been “totally drunk” after his wife told him that she was leaving him and taking the children with her.

He then grabbed his children and leapt from the balcony. It is believed his daughter survived after landing on top of him.

A spokesman for the hospital said: “She is in a good condition with the only problems in her left arm with fractures. She can leave hospital maybe tomorrow or later today.”

Mr Hogan told police that his brother had committed suicide last year by putting his neck on a railway line. His mother Josephine, 64, arrived in Crete on Wednesday.

Other British holidaymakers at the Patra Mare hotel told the police that the Hogans had quarrelled for several hours late on Tuesday. Some said they heard a succession of four-letter words that Mr Hogan spat out before taking his leap.

Neighbours of the couple from Bristol said yesterday that Mr Hogan and his wife had a violent row weeks before setting off on holiday.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ”It was very ferocious and must have woken up the entire street. He was shouting every obscenity at her and she was crying and sobbing. John looked very angry and agressive.”

Other friends and family from the area have spoken of their shock and paid tribute to the family. “We’re all in total shock and we’re basically in mourning,” one said. “Liam and his Mum and Dad were lovely and we just can’t believe that this has happened.”

Deborah Hilliam, the vice-chairman of Wheatfield Primary School, said that an assembly for Liam would be arranged when the pupils returned from holiday.

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