Terry Johnson, 54, and Josephine, 53, had been strangled in the bedroom of their Crete villa.

Ryan, who lives in Newlyn, near Penzance, was charged with their murder almost immediately and has been living in constant fear of a 30-year life sentence.

However, justice prevailed for the 33-year-old in June, when a lack of evidence led to the charges against him being dropped.

For the last week he has been staying with his grandmother in Penzance in quiet celebration with his family.

Ryan said he knew his first journey home without his parents would be painful.

"It was always going to be tough coming back to all the good memories, realising how much had changed, but slowly the more times I go back the more it will ease," he said.

"Every day I was busy with people coming to see me. I feel so lucky to have the friends I have here."

Ryan's cousin Vaughan Eddy said the homecoming was an important part in the family's healing process.

"As soon as he walked in the door he was all smiles but he didn't want to speak about any of it. I think it's still a bit too fresh."

"No one could put into words what he's been through. We've all suffered and we'll never forgive the Greek authorities, but it's time for us to move on."

The case against Ryan was pulled apart by a top UK crime investigator who flew to the island in July 2006 to reconstruct the murder for Trevor McDonald's Tonight programme.

Comparing the Greek authorities handling of the crime scene as similar to the way a crime scene would have been handled in 1960s Britain, the investigator concluded that Ryan's murder charge was "ridiculous."

"I came here to this island erring on the side of his guilt and I have left absolutely convinced that he did not commit this crime.

"This was a burglary gone wrong," he said.

Terry and Josephine's murderers remain at large and Ryan said he doubts very much they will ever be caught.

article copyright THE CORNISHMAN 

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